My interest in the Tradescants, both called John, father and son, began with an exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum several years ago which traced the origins of the museum collection back to the Tradescants. They were both collectors of plants, curiosities and were responsible for bringing many of the plants we know today from their travels. A fascinating book which puts all of this into context and takes you back to the great plant hunting days is 'Strange Blooms, The Curious Lives and Adventures of the John Tradescants' by Jennifer Potter. Penelope Lively makes this point about imported plants in her book 'Life in the Garden', she says John Tradescant imported the black locust tree which she had in her garden in Oxfordshire. Any gardener is probably still a plant hunter today, hence the thrill of garden holidays and visiting Rare Plant Fairs, to collect more beauties for your garden. In fact some of them are called plant hunters fairs.
So what happened to the Tradescants' collection? After the death of the second JT, the Tradescant's collection was eventually transferred to, and some say it was swindled out of them by Elias Ashmole, who used it to start what eventually became known as The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.Fascinating to think it could be the Tradescant Museum, instead of the Ashmolean.
A quote from the book Elias Ashmole
'With the opening of its doors on 24 May 1683, the Ashmolean Museum provided a setting in which the private collection emerged into the public domain. Even the use of the term `Museum' was a novelty in English: a few years later the New World of Words (1706) defined it as `a Study, or Library; also a College, or Publick Place for the Resort of Learned Men', with a specific entry for `Ashmole's Museum', described as `a neat Building in the City of Oxford'.
Fantastic to think we can still visit this wonderful place today, which to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of Elias Ashmole has opened an exciting new gallery which tells the story of the foundation of the Ashmolean. Central to the space, and given pride of place is Powhatan's Mantle, one of the most important pieces in the collection. It's from the period of contact between indigenous peoples of North America and British colonists of Virginia in the early 1600s.
Having seen a drawing of it in Jennifer Potter's book, I was keen to see the real thing:
It's comprised of 4 deer skins sewn together and decorated with shells creating a design which depicts a human figure flanked by 2 animals and 34 shell circles.
It's absolutely fabulous, well worth a visit to see Powhatan's Mantle. Also in the original collection is a great portrait of the elder John Tradescant attributed to Emanuel de Critz, he's surrounded by fruit and vegetables with flowers and shells which allude to his interest in horticulture and social history
Some of the clothing seemed almost contemporary in style, this tunic is made of caribou hide and decorated with fringes, bands of porcupine quillwork and beads made from beaver claws. This is probably the oldest known surviving indigenous North American leather garment:
A couple of favourites sit side by side, they are the 6 tentacled octopus with murex shells from the Palace at Knossus, Crete 1450-1400BC. The other one features palm trees again from Knossus, Crete 1850-1800BC.
In the backgrounds a relief figure of the 'Priest King' , 1700-1450BC is one of the most recognisable Knossus frescoes, it was Arthur Evans whose portrait appears below, painted by Sir William Richmond in 1907, he pieced together fragments found at Knossus in 1901. Apparently most people now disagree with this interpretation.
I love this centre floor display entitled 'Impression-Time crossing Culture' the installation was commissioned from the light artist Bruce Munro, and is the 'story of his thoughts and experiences having visited the Ashmolean Museum'.
Here's the suspended spheres, there's also a digital animation which means it is constantly changing.
This Assyrian protective spirit is from Northwest Palace, Nimrud, modern northern Iraq about 875-860BC.
I also loved this 6 fold screen, one of a pair, showing birds and flowers in spring and summer is by artist Watanabe Shotei, he made it around 1900
There were so many reflections in the glass in front of them, so I've only included two of the panel
I'm finishing off with a vase with a winter landscape by Miyagawa Kozan, probably made around 1900 for an international exhibition.
I didn't go and see the 'Imagining the Divine' exhibition, but enjoyed Qu Leilie's exhibition, A Chinese Artist in Britain, Old traditions New Visions: Art in India and Pakistan after 1947.
So what happened to the Tradescants' collection? After the death of the second JT, the Tradescant's collection was eventually transferred to, and some say it was swindled out of them by Elias Ashmole, who used it to start what eventually became known as The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.Fascinating to think it could be the Tradescant Museum, instead of the Ashmolean.
A quote from the book Elias Ashmole
'With the opening of its doors on 24 May 1683, the Ashmolean Museum provided a setting in which the private collection emerged into the public domain. Even the use of the term `Museum' was a novelty in English: a few years later the New World of Words (1706) defined it as `a Study, or Library; also a College, or Publick Place for the Resort of Learned Men', with a specific entry for `Ashmole's Museum', described as `a neat Building in the City of Oxford'.
Fantastic to think we can still visit this wonderful place today, which to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of Elias Ashmole has opened an exciting new gallery which tells the story of the foundation of the Ashmolean. Central to the space, and given pride of place is Powhatan's Mantle, one of the most important pieces in the collection. It's from the period of contact between indigenous peoples of North America and British colonists of Virginia in the early 1600s.
Having seen a drawing of it in Jennifer Potter's book, I was keen to see the real thing:
It's absolutely fabulous, well worth a visit to see Powhatan's Mantle. Also in the original collection is a great portrait of the elder John Tradescant attributed to Emanuel de Critz, he's surrounded by fruit and vegetables with flowers and shells which allude to his interest in horticulture and social history
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