Welcome to this week's edition of our Friday Quality Linkage column. Please enjoy this week’s collection of interesting and entertaining links. Brew a fresh cup of coffee, find a comfortable place, and relax.
Moving and Restoring an Ancient Greek Mosaic »
Fascinating (and oddly relaxing) video documenting the restoration of the Mosaic of the Epiphany of Dionysus, via Rion Nakaya of The Kid Should See This:
The Mosaic of the Epiphany of Dionysus, a large stone mosaic illustrating the Greek god in a chariot pulled by panthers, dates back to the late-2nd and early 3rd century CE. It was unearthed from an ancient banquet hall in 1987 by archaeologists in Dion, Greece, a village near Mount Olympus.
The mosaic was moved to the local Archaeological Museum of Dion for restoration and protection between 2015 and 2017.
As calm as the video shows the people who moved the mosaic, imagine how nerve-wracking it must've been to be a part of something like that. You don't get a second chance if things go pear-shaped.
Speaking of The Kid Should See This, Nakaya has finally launched a Patreon page so she can go full-time with the site:
I started TKSST in 2011 because I didn't like the media that was being marketed to my kids—full of simplistic narration, smart-alecky dialogue, and little-to-no educational content. And so, inspired by the PBS shows I watched when I was little, I turned to the internet to find the kind of wonders and ‘wow!’ moments that I wanted my kids to see... and that I wanted to watch, too.
[…]
It takes dozens of hours to find videos, write about them, fact-check them, and share them every week. I’ve done this for free in between freelance projects and full-time jobs for years. It’s important to me to finally make this a paid full-time endeavor. With dedicated time, I'll be able to share more videos, explore new subjects, and launch new site features.
As I said on Twitter about this, my son and I use TKSST to find cool educational things to watch all the time, without having to worry about plumbing the unfiltered depths of YouTube. It truly is a treasure of the web. If you have a few extra bucks in your budget, I hope you'll consider supporting Nakaya's efforts. You absolutely won't regret it.
Khruangbin: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert »
NPR's "Tiny Desk Concert" series rarely disappoints. Somehow, I missed this performance by a trio named Khruangbin (don't ask me how that's pronounced) when it went up back in May, but thanks to Chase Reeves, I was belatedly able to check out those atmospheric, layered grooves and impeccable guitar solos. So good.
It was daylight but the music was dark and moody. And despite having the office lights turned on high, it was Khruangbin's trance-inducing tone that set the mood and carried me away.
This trio from Houston, Texas is heavily inspired by 1960s and '70s funk and soul from, of all places, Thailand. That musical passion has taken them on a journey that, these days, incorporates music from Spain, Ethiopia and the Middle East. Khruangbin's largely instrumental music is grounded in Laura Lee's bass, with Mark Speer playing those melodic, richly reverbed guitar sounds and Donald "DJ" Johnson on drums and piano.
The first two songs of the set are from their 2018 album, Con Todo El Mundo, while the third one is from 2015's The Universe Smiles Upon You. Definitely check both of those out this weekend.
Photos: Maria Svarbova
Synchronistic Images Captured in Soviet Era Swimming Pools by Photographer Maria Svarbova »
Kate Sierzputowski, writing for Colossal:
Photographer Maria Svarbova is fascinated by the sterile, geometric aesthetic of old swimming pools, especially those built during the Socialist Era in her native country of Slovakia. Each scene she photographs is highly controlled, from the subjects of her works to the bright colors and dramatic shadows that compose each shot.
“The figures are mid-movement, but there is no joyful playfulness to them,” says Sarbova’s artist statement about the project. “Frozen in the composition, the swimmers are as smooth and cold as the pools tiles…Despite the retro setting, the pictures somehow evoke a futuristic feeling as well, as if they were taken somewhere completely alien.”
As Atul Sabharwal put it on Twitter, this is a “lovely set of photographs, almost like a musical sans motion.” Can't put it any better than that.
+ Also on Colossal: These absolutely incredible Argentinean landscape rugs.
Photo: Omkaar Kotedia
Photo: Omkaar Kotedia
The Alternative Limb Project »
Some images on this site are mildly NSFW.
Via Jason Kottke: Who says prosthetic limbs have to be boring and anatomically accurate? London-based prosthetic sculptor Sophie Oliveira Barata founded The Alternative Limb Project, where she designs visually striking, bespoke artificial limbs that range from steampunk to modular to fantastical and everything in between.
In 2014 she gave a TEDMED talk about the project:
Her studio offers a bespoke service to amputees that either allows their prostheses to blend in with their bodies, or stand out as unique pieces of art that reflects the wearer’s imagination, personality, and interests. Some of Sophie’s out-of-the-box creations include a leg with an embedded stereo, another with removable muscles, and a third that houses mini-drawers.
What a cool concept. The possibilities here are limitless. If (heaven forbid) I ever found myself in need of a prosthesis — and if I could ever find the money for it, let's be honest — I would definitely look into Barata's services.
Hidden Details of the New York Public Library »
Architectural Digest partnered with the Bryant Park Corporation to offer this excellent guided virtual tour of the New York Public Library:
Noted historians serve as your personal audio guide through a virtual walking tour of the New York Public Library. Find out about hidden details of the famed NYC building as these expert reveal the history behind the Winnie the Pooh toys, the Rose Main Reading Room, the iconic lion statues Patience and Fortitude, the Stephen A. Schwarzman building, the Milstein Division, the map collection, the book train and more.
Neat Stuff We Published This Week
- Guide: "Our Favorite Metallic Pens"
- Throw out that old jar of minced garlic: Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press
- Find happiness by contemplating your mortality: WeCroak — Daily Death Reminders for iOS
- Soft, breathable, stretchy, non-slip, and most importantly, invisible: Wander No-Show Socks
- Who wouldn’t want this handsome fella holding up their books? Anthropologie Walrus Bookends
- Theodore Roosevelt, pre-Presidential naturalist writer: Hunting Trips of a Ranchman & The Wilderness Hunter
Got any suggestions for articles, videos, stories, photographs, and any other links you think we should be posting in our weekly Quality Linkage? Please do let us know on Twitter.