All the reddish pictures in this corridor refer to the Immaculate Conception. The elephant is a symbol of chastity. Here it has been wounded seven times (for the seven sorrows of Mary – the Catholic Encyclopedia article, as so often with these church guides, a great help) but not hurt. – At the top left you can just see the edge of a fish inside a star, representing Mary as Stella Maris (Meerstern – according to the Catholic Encyclopedia a mistake, but the real etymology seems unclear).

This corridor gets more light than the other because the windows are clear glass. This is where the local priest has his office, probably as nice inside as outside.

bq. Kelchblattschnüre, die in Engelsköpfchen münden, akzentuieren die Gewölbegrate, in den Gewölbezwickeln sind es symmetrische Akanthusranken, die entweder aus einer Vase oder aus einem durchbrochenen Knauf hervorwachsen. In den Gewölbekappen lösen Muscheln in wucherndem Pflanzenwerk bzw. Füllhörner mit Früchten sowie Lorbeerzweigen einander ab. Passend zum rhythmischen Wechsel der Stuckmotive ist die geputzte Fläche darunter in alternierendem Gelb und Rosa gehalten.

bq. Strings of calyxes developing into heads of angels accentuate the vaulting groins. In the vault spandrels, symmetrical acanthus leaves grow either from a vase or from a pierced boss. In the vaulting cells, shells in luxuriant foliage alternate with cornucopias with fruit and laurel branches. Following the rhythmic alternation of the stucco motifs, the plaster surface beneath is coloured alternately yellow and pink.

I am very glad I have found something for Kelchblattschnüre. Searching on rococo terms was not helpful, and Kelchblatt is sepal. Finally a Kew Gardens site revealed that calyx means all the sepals collectively. The picture supports that or at least doesn’t contradict it. Apparently calyx is Blütenkelch in German. The durchbrochener Knauf also had to be seen before I could be sure of a translation. I decided to go for acanthus leaves rather than acanthus tendrils.

bq. Kelchblattschnüre, die in Engelsköpfchen münden, akzentuieren die Gewölbegrate, in den Gewölbezwickeln sind es symmetrische Akanthusranken, die entweder aus einer Vase oder aus einem durchbrochenen Knauf hervorwachsen. In den Gewölbekappen lösen Muscheln in wucherndem Pflanzenwerk bzw. Füllhörner mit Früchten sowie Lorbeerzweigen einander ab. Passend zum rhythmischen Wechsel der Stuckmotive ist die geputzte Fläche darunter in alternierendem Gelb und Rosa gehalten.

bq. Strings of calyxes developing into heads of angels accentuate the vaulting groins. In the vault spandrels, symmetrical acanthus leaves grow either from a vase or from a pierced boss. In the vaulting cells, shells in luxuriant foliage alternate with cornucopias with fruit and laurel branches. Following the rhythmic alternation of the stucco motifs, the plaster surface beneath is coloured alternately yellow and pink.

I am very glad I have found something for Kelchblattschnüre. Searching on rococo terms was not helpful, and Kelchblatt is sepal. Finally a Kew Gardens site revealed that calyx means all the sepals collectively. The picture supports that or at least doesn’t contradict it. Apparently calyx is Blütenkelch in German. The durchbrochener Knauf also had to be seen before I could be sure of a translation. I decided to go for acanthus leaves rather than acanthus tendrils.

The Morning News describes itself as ‘a Web-based broadsheet, published weekdays, est. November 1999’.

I bookmarked it a few days ago, but I am rather late in linking to a May 23 story on jury duty in New York:

bq. 8:00 a.m. I awake in a panic for my first day of jury duty. It takes me 10 minutes to find the three alarm clocks that began blaring at 7:30. It is light out. Who knew? I haven’t been up this early since I last did jury duty four years ago. I scarf down breakfast: half a cup of plain oatmeal.

bq. I am nervous. Spending half a week passing harsh judgment on your fellow Manhattanites just seems so… well, when put like that, it sounds just like every other day. Continue reading →

The Morning News describes itself as ‘a Web-based broadsheet, published weekdays, est. November 1999’.

I bookmarked it a few days ago, but I am rather late in linking to a May 23 story on jury duty in New York:

bq. 8:00 a.m. I awake in a panic for my first day of jury duty. It takes me 10 minutes to find the three alarm clocks that began blaring at 7:30. It is light out. Who knew? I haven’t been up this early since I last did jury duty four years ago. I scarf down breakfast: half a cup of plain oatmeal.

bq. I am nervous. Spending half a week passing harsh judgment on your fellow Manhattanites just seems so… well, when put like that, it sounds just like every other day. Continue reading →

Germans say Naher Osten, British the Middle East, Americans, at least the State Department, apparently the Near East.

Via languagehat, who is rather scornful of the whole thing, William Safire’s language column on the topic.

bq. Alistair Cooke of BBC fame called me with an assignment: ”The State Department still has a Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. The rest of the world calls that area the Middle East. Do something about this right away.” Continue reading →