THE ARDENT ENTHUSIAST

Monthly Archives: May 2014

Here are three more pieces of Kohistani embroidery from my collection. The square piece I bought in Kabul in 1974 and it was probably used to cover flat bread and keep the flies off. The other two pieces were originally a single pillow cover. I found them in a bazaar in the Swat Valley in 1983. I have no idea of their exact ages, but they were old when I found them. My best guess would… Read More

Rather than try to provide  the context of this small exhibit, I’ll let this article by Tom Bol explain it for me. The article  can also be found at Asian Art. ********************************************** The Weavers of Tradition by Thomas L. Guta She would come in, hang up her bag, and just sit there before the loom, doing nothing, as if waiting for a crowd to pass. Then, slowly, she would raise her bar, and sink her hands into… Read More

Here is another one of Tom Bol’s poems. Tom Bol was an advanced practitioner of Vajrayana Buddhism, as this shows so well. READ MORE …

March 2014 – Shivaratri – Shiva’s Slaves Run It was that time of year again – time for the annual get together of Kathmandu’s favorite Motorcycle Gang, the Shiva’s Slaves.  I used to ride an old Russian bike back in the 1980’s. The ’80s, ah, yes, those were the days to live in Nepal. READ MORE…