Riddle Me This

 

Riddle Me This

The Sphinx, the half woman-half lion with the wings of an eagle whose riddle was a definite life or death matter. Those who failed to answer her questions were quickly devoured. This is a Greek Sphinx, Egyptian Sphinx's, in addition to a possible human head, often had animal heads such as a falcon or cat.

This sphinx is a plastic piece from Monolith, Mystic Battles that I painted in 2021.
 

Portraits Through the Centuries

Early 17th Century

Early 18th Century

Early 19th Century

                                                                    Early 20th Century

                                                                    Early 21st Century

                                                                                 2020

American Armor - 1940's Style

M3A1 Stuart light scout tank 37mm ATG, two .30 cal. machineguns. 

The second largest American production tank, with over 22,400 Stuart M3/M5 family of tanks produced, the Stuart was a common sight on the major battlefields of World War Two, as well as a variety of conflicts up until the Nicaraguan Revolution of the late 1970's. Built in such large numbers, Stuarts were seen in every major Allied army in the Second World War, even in the Soviet and Chinese forces.

While too lightly armored and armed to be a main battle tank in Europe by the time the US entered the war, the Stuart was still quite useful as a scout tank and against the lighter AFV's of Japan. It's original max armor of 51mm (2inches) a main gun of only 37mm and up to five .30 cal. machineguns was fine when first designed but was quickly surpassed as the war progressed. What it did possess was a great turn of speed, up 58 kph/36mph and unsurpassed reliability. So reliable were Stuarts that the British tankers in North Africa gave them the nick name "Honey." Many variants included upgraded armor, weapons (flame throwers and short 75mm cannon being especially popular) and even turrets.

As with the later Sherman's, Stuarts had a long and successful life in the armies of smaller nations after the war, the army of Paraguay was still using ten upgraded Stuarts as late as 2014.

M4 Sherman medium tank, Draftee, 75mm cannon two .30 cal. machineguns one .50 cal. machinegun. Note the extra inch thick applique armor on extra areas of the vulnerable sides and turret. 

50,000+ Sherman's were produced during World War Two, seeing combat on every front as well as in the Korean War, India vs Pakistan wars the Arab-Israel conflicts and countless smaller actions through the '50's, '60's and '70's with dozens of countries.  The varieties produced are too many to list in this small post check out "The Online Tank Museum" for a more complete list. 

The weight went up from 30.3 tons for the first M4 models to over 42 tons for the massive M4A3E2 Jumbo Sherman. Armor was constantly increased and changed with frontal armor ranging from 76mm (3 inches) to 177mm (7 inches)-again on the Jumbo.

Main weapons available also went through a dizzying amount of varieties, 75mm, 76mm, 76.2mm, 105mm cannons; flame-throwers and rockets from 76.2mm, 113mm, to 183mm, fired in groups of from 2 to 60 projectiles. Adaptability was a hallmark of the Sherman.

All in all, the massive number produced, reliability and the great variety of designs made the Sherman a real war winner for the Western Allies (while over 4100 Sherman's saw service in the Soviet Armies in WWII, they had their own game winner in their excellent T34 series of tanks.) The last Sherman tanks in active duty, after many upgrades, were retired in 1999, from the Chilean army. While the army of Paraguay did not fully retire their last three Sherman's until 2018, quite a career for a tank that many considered way inferior to its German advisories.

Both of these tanks are on display at the National World War Two Museum in New Orleans.
 

Goddesses of Rome

                                                             Minerva as the protector.

Juno the queen of the gods, goddess of family, fertility, marriage love-wife to Jupiter

Venus the goddess of love and beauty, unfaithful wife of Vulcan.

Minerva goddess of the tactics of war, wisdom, medicine, arts and crafts & commerce.

All these statues are currently at the stunning Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
 

Mesoamerican Jade, the Semi-Precious Stone of Choice

 

In Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, jade was the stone of choice for aristocrats, religious nobles and the wealthy.

Aztec, Maya, Toltec, Olmec and the other civilizations of Mesoamerica held jade in great respect for its beauty and artistic versatility.

                             From masks to

                                           glyphs, 

                    decorative figurines,

 

                             religious totems or

god figurines, jade was used in every aspect of life in Mesoamerica.

Pieces like this Were Jaguar Olmec mask are often over 25 centuries old.

           Some could be worn while

      others held important information.

The detail was impressive no matter the size of the object.

These artifacts give the modern world a glimpse into the art and culture

of these long-lost civilizations.

While the identity of the individual artisans that made these works will never be known, their

pieces are a haunting 21 century reminder that while civilizations may rise and fall beauty is eternal.

All these pieces were at a special exhibit at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles in late 2017.

Old World Aristocratic Opulence

Nothing says wealth like gold plated furniture, door, walls, candelabra etc.

The highpoint of such aristocratic opulence was the era between the Renaissance and the American and French Revolutions.

All these items are currently at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
 

Science, 18th Century Style

A microscope fit for the Royal Academy in the early 17th Century was as much a work of art as a functional piece of scientific equipment during the "Age of Enlightenment."

Even the case and its delicate tools, was a magnificent piece of craftmanship.
 

This set is at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.