Treasures

It really was a night of treasures on Saturday, drinking a little of my favorite champagne (Moet & Chandon) before heading out the door, taking a leisurely walk to Mount Vernon, but not before stopping by Sweet Sin for a decadent gluten-free chocolate cupcake. I succeeded in my mission of making a second stop to meet friends for happy hour and then finally departing to my ultimate destination, The Walters Art Museum, for the Treasures Of Heaven exhibition, which you don’t want to miss because it’s miraculous!

I took the best route possible, traveling via the Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood Campus and then straight down Charles Street. I’m always intrigued with the students I see, more often than not picking up on a conversation and behavior that amuses me, and this time was no different.

The highlight of my walk down was trekking though Charles Village and Station North, eclectic neighborhoods that are often misunderstood. I love these areas and when you take time to get to know the people, exploring the many eateries and other forms of entertainment, well, it’s a place you want to visit over and over again, maybe even contemplating a move to the area. I did years ago, and would consider going back in a heartbeat. It’s city living at its best.

I finally made it to the museum meeting my friend Michael. I wasn’t surprised to run into others I knew. All were sipping spirits, sampling a beautiful spread of cheeses, breads, dips and desserts. Of course there was also delicious conversation, which was as it always is, full of purpose and intrigue, and laughter, too. (Ed, Joan, Barbara and Fred – it was wonderful seeing you, and I hope we run into each other again soon.)

What can I say about this extraordinary exhibition – Absolutely amazing! It celebrates relics and reliquaries in the history of Christianity. It features 150 religious objects from Late Antiquity, Medieval and Early Modern Europe, many never before seen outside of their home countries... many never to leave their countries again. The exhibit debuted at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the next stop on the journey is Baltimore’s own Walters Art Museum. How lucky are we?!

I truly was blown away by the collection, consisting of metal works, sculptures, paintings, and illuminated manuscripts, all on loan from the Louvre, the Vatican and the Holy of Holies and the Pope’s private reliquary chapel. Wow!

A few of my favorites:

The Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude (ca. 1045) is an Ottonian ecclesiastical masterpiece from medieval Germany's famous Guelph Treasure.

The Bust Reliquary of St. Baudime (ca. 1180-1200) from the Parish Church of Saint-Nectaire, Puy-le-Dôme is a French Romanesque effigy made of gilded bronze, gems and enamel with a wood core. Its almost human presence is conveyed by the realism of the beard's stippling, the hair's rhythmic curls and the vestments' elegant patterning.

The Reliquary Shrine of St. Amandus (1250-75) is a portable Flemish Gothic shrine. Church-shaped and made of gilded copper, silver, champlevé enamel and semiprecious stones, the large container is said to have held the remains of a seventh-century missionary and bishop from present-day western Belgium.

There was so much to take in, and I will definitely make a few return visits so that I may study these precious artifacts a bit more closely, maybe even taking a few friends along, too. Brian, we’ll definitely need to see this together, and Michael I hope you’ll go with me again. (I apologize for the abrupt departure, which was out of my control. Thank you for understanding.)

I’m not a religious person, but appreciate the symbolism and artistry of what I saw. I can even regard the rituals that were often used in combination. All offer hope, and a reason to believe. An exhibit like this helps nurture our collective conscience, almost to the point of restoring our trust in that which is not so easy to understand, I’m talking about faith (something that continues to elude me because of my Fundamentalist upbringing, which all too often undermines the principals of love, but I digress...).

Schedule this exhibit in your day planner. It’s a must see! It will definitely inspire conversation and provoke emotion. It did for me! - paerki