Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

ham · 20th October 2005, 03:23 AM

Ariel,

The concept of tourist pieces, i.e. improbable objects which amuse, dazzle and gull foreign visitors (particularly those from the provinces,) is not endemic to the present. In fact, there have been tourist pieces as long as there have been tourists-- the mother of the first Byzantine emperor, Constantine, went off to the Holy Land after vowing to find and bring the True Cross back to Constantinople. She returned with it, in fact with several, and the tale is still told in Jerusalem that some enterprising denizen of the relic bazaar was only too happy to knock together a few odd lengths of lumber for her to come upon, seemingly forgotten, at the back of his stall.

Ham

20th October 2005, 03:23 AM	#2
ham Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 190	Ariel, The concept of tourist pieces, i.e. improbable objects which amuse, dazzle and gull foreign visitors (particularly those from the provinces,) is not endemic to the present. In fact, there have been tourist pieces as long as there have been tourists-- the mother of the first Byzantine emperor, Constantine, went off to the Holy Land after vowing to find and bring the True Cross back to Constantinople. She returned with it, in fact with several, and the tale is still told in Jerusalem that some enterprising denizen of the relic bazaar was only too happy to knock together a few odd lengths of lumber for her to come upon, seemingly forgotten, at the back of his stall. Ham Last edited by ham; 20th October 2005 at 03:56 AM.