the lastsplash

In between the final installment of Harry Potter and dinner, we found time to visit the Treasure of Vacheron Constantin exhibition at the NHM. This Swiss watch owners include Napoleon Bonaparte, Pope Pius XI, the Duke of Windsor and Harry Truman. The exhibition explores the heritage of the oldest watch manufacturer. 180 timepieces were on display. The photos in this post were taken using my Samsung Galaxy S2, so the quality isn't top-notched. But at least it gives those who missed the exhibition, glimpses of the exquisite timepieces from Vacheron Constantin . The descriptions are mostly lifted from the exhibition itself. To start off, some background information about enamelling: The art of enamelling was already much appreciated by the ancient Egyptians ca. 1500 BCE. Following a long history of this beautifying technique, watchmakers introduced enamelling to watches during the 17th century in Geneva, Switzerland. The art of enamelling comprises several techniques: Champl...

For the first time, the Terracotta Army of the First Emperor are here in our urban jungle, together with the smaller terracotta warriors of the Han dynasty. The 120 objects from the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, and 20 terracotta warriors, had made their way around the world, from China to UK, America, Canada, Sweden, etc. I remember seeing hordes of people, queuing, paying top dollars, to get the glimpse of these legendary warriors in the British Museum, London, back in 2008 . And some attempted to make some terracotta warriors as well... Now in Singapore, we only have to pay a reasonable entrance fee (discount with PAssion Card or IKEA card!) to see them! The artifacts on display is a very small part of the 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses in the pits of the mausoleum, in Xi'an, China. It featured the important bronzes and jades from the Qin state before the time of the First Emperor. The terracotta figures from the Han dynasty was als...