Sackler Persian Treasures

We haven’t been inside the Sackler museum for quite some time. So last week when we were walking about the Smithsonian gardens we decided to stop in for a visit. We have been there so many times before. The most appealing section is the Iranian treasures. I have had the good fortune of visiting Iran - not once, but twice.  The first time was to meet my husband’s family back in 1996. It was very interesting to say the least and I got to meet my brother and sister in law and their three children, along with a lot of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. We also were hoping to adopt, but unfortunately those plans fell through even though we met a three year old little boy. We retuned to Iran in 2009 with a couple of our American friends. We went on a tour all over the country from one end to another. So when we saw the treasures at the Sackler I am reminded of the treasures we saw at the museums and historical sites all over Iran. Many of the artifacts represent the places we visited. We still keep I touch with our family in Iran and the nieces and nephew are all grown, married, have children and are successful in their careers both inside and outside of the country. It’s been an interesting journey experiencing a different culture and understanding that there is more to life than our little world. Visiting these places reminds us of that. They have been around a lot longer than we have. Perhaps we could learn something from them. 

Reformation and Martin Luther Treasures in the US

We usually go to the Library of Congress for lectures in the Middle Eastern Division for all things Persian. Once in awhile we see more generic topics. But today we were interested to hear about Martin Luther and the Reformation - celebrating 500 years. We just watched a program about Martin Luther on TV, and 500 year celebrations are few and far in between. The speaker, Tom Rassieur, was from the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The slideshow highlighted the German/American collaborative exhibition and publication of historically relevant pieces. He was a dynamic speaker and the lecture was filled with visually interesting artworks and objects from vestments, articles from Luther's home life, and fascinating tales. The setting was a lovely room in the beautiful Jefferson Building. There is also an exhibit on the first floor that we will need to go back and check out another time. Another program is scheduled on Thursday evening in the Madison Building with Brad S. Gregory. The focus is Luther's life and legacy. It seems the programs all seem to come at one time. But luckily for us it's just a walk down the street. And there is always something of interest to see and hear.