Pirate’s Treasure
By Louise Irvine Yo ho ho a pirate’s life for me! Pirate life has captured our imaginations since childhood thanks to adventure stories like Treasure Island and Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean. Images of intrepid, swashbuckling seafarers and treasure chests buried on deserted tropical islands were kept alive by the
Treasure Seeker
By Louise Irvine Researching a collection like Arthur Wiener’s is often like searching for buried treasure. As well as all the ceramics and glass art, the collection includes decorative objects in bronze and enamel, which are less familiar to us at WMODA. Recently we had the good fortune to work
A Safari for the Soul
A Safari for the Soul is a journey of the imagination through the wild and wonderful world of Ardmore Ceramic Art. Imagine yourself riding one of Ardmore’s exotic animals through the magnificent mountains and grassy savannas of South Africa to the thriving pottery studio in KwaZulu Natal. The Ardmore studio was started thirty-five
String of Pearls
By Louise Irvine Pearls are known as the “Queen of Gems” and they have been treasured for countless centuries. A natural pearl necklace was a symbol of perfection and so rare that it was reserved for royalty and the very rich. Even when pearls were cultured and became more affordable,
Mother of Pearl
By Louise Irvine The history of porcelain and mother of pearl has been interwoven since Marco Polo, the Italian explorer, visited the court of Kublai Khan in the 13th century and saw porcelain for the first time. He called it porcellana, the Italian word for the cowrie shell as the
Who’s Who – Betsy Alexis
Betsy Alexis recycles nature’s bounty and discarded materials into whimsical jewelry. At one of our events, she showed us how to make cute bracelets from the inner tubes of bicycle tires. Nothing is ever wasted as Betsy transforms trash into treasure! Betsy writes: Art has been my passion all my
Diamonds in Glass
By Louise Irvine The diamond pattern was one of the earliest patterns to be adopted in cut crystal in the English and Irish glasshouses of the 18th century. The prismatic surface design greatly enhances the brilliance and reflecting power of the crystal. It was used to great effect on wine
Mother’s Day Gifts
May 1-8 Bring your Mom as our special guest to WMODA free of charge* between May 1 and 8 to enjoy all the new exhibitions and choose her own gift from our museum shop. After experiencing the world-class collection of fired arts on display in the museum, your mother will
Who’s Who – Linda Saft
By Louise Irvine Linda Saft is a familiar face to visitors as she has been based at WMODA for the last two years while she appraises Arthur Wiener’s vast collection of decorative arts. Linda is an independent expert appraiser and helps many clients evaluate their art property for various purposes
A Mother’s Love
By Louise Irvine As Mother’s Day approaches, we are highlighting the tale of a mother’s love which was so intense it could stop the arrival of spring. Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest, was responsible for the fertility of the earth. When her beautiful virgin daughter, Persephone, was abducted