Susa Archers

I took a glorious walk in the sunshine down to the Louvre yesterday. And then spent several hours inside, which might seem silly except that the sunlight really helps with taking photos in there. And it's a 45 minute walk each way so I was outside. Enough justification.

The Louvre's special exhibition right now is on Babylon. I just did a quick walk through since I'll be going back with my sweetie. Does bother me that all of the labels are in French and boy I'd have paid that exhorbitant amount for the coffeetable book if I could just understand it.

No photography was allowed in the exhibition, but I did take a wander over to the permanent collection to see remains of the Palace of Darius from Susa (in current day Iran). Also Babylonian and for obvious reasons too big to move over for the special show.

I'm so madly in love with the colors and patterns on the tilework. There are multiple sets of archers. The colors are so incredible, I wish you could see them. Soft yellow and turquoise.

A lone archer

This particular pattern appears often.

Another set of archers. You can't see it but the top has arrows pointing upwards.

There's cunieform writing in the middle:

I know, I know, more of the same. I took soooo many photos of the feet and robes, just be glad I narrowed it down some.

These remind me of antique quilts, the way the "fabric" in some blocks has aged more than in others. The colors are no longer like the makers intended, but still glorious all the same. I wish I hand-dyed fabrics - I'd love to try and duplicate the range of colors here.