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Godaido temple - Matsushima Matsushima, Japan: The land of the rising sun has distinct nuances that permeate the air and meet the eye – humility, meticulousness, precision, and spirituality - each intertwined by threads of unequivocal faith, woven by the invisible hands of the Supreme Being. Godaido, an icon of the city of Matsushima, in north Japan, sits on a small island off the coast. This area is one of the country’s most scenic spots and is also famous for the cultivation of oysters. There is something magnetic about Godaido temple, which attracts scores of visitors, who cross a wooden bridge that connects the island where Godaido stands with the mainland. Walking on this bright-red painted bridge, which is a simple structure – spaced wooden boards attached horizontally to the two railings and over them two long long vertical planks, over which the visitors walk to and fro from the temple. One can see the sea splashing on to the rocky edifice. The intentionally precarious red brid...

Photo: Barba. SAS-I NAH --   Excavating an 18th Century wreck in the Caribbean Fables have been told and written accounts given about this enigmatic city, whose tales spread far and wide. Frequented by pirates – from the one-eyed to the wooden-leg ones (yes, we are taking some inspiration from Pirates of the Caribbean), sailors, wanderers, navy officers – Port Royal etched a name for itself.  The notorious Wickedest City, drowning in rum, loot, and debauchery, was engulfed by the sea – a powerful earthquake at around 11.40 a.m. on June 7, 1692. It is said that Three violent shocks, followed by a giant tidal wave, ripped the ground and within minutes, two-thirds of Port Royal sank under the rising waves. Fast-forward to 2022, Mexican archaeologist Roberto Junco, along with colleagues from Japan, Canada, and the Netherlands, among others, are on a mission.  “We are helping the Jamaican Government through the Jamaican National Heritage Trust (JNHT) to prepare the dossier for...

There is a mystic and time-warped aura around the ceramics of Jag Mehta. One is intrigued by the simplicity of the style, form, shapes, and the rustic finish. The earthiness of the end product that Mehta creates transcends and is reminiscent of mankind’s early romance with pottery, creating functional and decorative terracotta art. Pottery made at Matticookware Studio, Pahari, Rajasthan, India. February/ March 2020 Call it a coincidence or the strong influences of his land of birth, Lahore, Pakistan, and living in the port city of Karachi, home to the Indus Valley Civilization, Mehta’s ceramics transport one to the pottery of that bygone era. Or as Mehta says, his works are born out of the fact that he is self-taught and not having any formal training in ceramics and the intricacies of its processes. “I have no formal education of ceramics and I know very little about glazes,” said Mehta, who has used his creativity to produce simple, yet awe-inspiring pieces. “I use oxides and undergl...