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BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Former RAF officer from Cardiff becomes Tower of London Beefeater
A former RAF Warrant Officer from Cardiff has been selected as a Yeoman Warder (YW) at the Tower of Harris served in the RAF for more than 36 years, during which time he was deployed for tours to Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Cyprus. Nicknamed Beefeaters, it is a position introduced by Henry VII in 1485 to help guard the fortress and YW Harris is thought to be the first Welsh Beefeater in more than a decade. YW Harris described his appointment as an immense honour, and said he was "extremely proud to represent Wales". As one of 35 who live and work at the tower, YW Harris said he has enjoyed settling into his "quirky new home within the tower's vibrant community". He said he left Cardiff in 1988 and has worked at stations all over the UK with the RAF, but it means an "awful lot" to him to be able to represent the national heritage."At the end of my career it's great to be allowed to continue the historical elements of service life," he said. Describing what it was like to put on the uniform, YW Harris said you just "cannot imagine" the feeling. "It was immense" he said, adding it was "such an immensely proud moment". "I have a lot to learn and will be focused on learning the tower's history and legends before I am ready to share these with our visitors, so the next few months are going to be incredibly exciting."Part of the criteria for becoming a YW is a minimum of 22 years' service with the military, to hold the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, and to have reached the rank of warrant officer or equivalent, before being selected for the coming months, YW Harris will learn "the story" – the script of the famous Yeoman Warder tour, in verbatim, before he can lead his own tours of the Tower of London. He will also be required to learn the 21 separate duties conducted by the Yeoman Body each day, including the Ceremony of the Keys, a closing ceremony that has taken place every single night for at least 700 years.A devoted sportsman, YW Harris is known to be a supporter of Welsh rugby, Cardiff City FC, and the Cardiff Devils Ice Hockey club, having coached the RAF Ice Hockey team to four successive inter-service championships during his previous career.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bujang Valley, Bukit Choras an integral part of Southeast Asia's ancient history
The recent International Conference on the Early History of Southeast Asia brought together renowned scholars from Southeast Asian countries – Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, India and host Malaysia – to discuss maritime trade and the presence of Hindu-Buddhist influences in the region during the early historical period. Organised by Universiti Sains Malaysia's Centre for Global Archaeological Research, the Institute of Malay Civilisation at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, and the Department of National Heritage, the event also focused on positioning Kedah Tua as among the oldest known civilisations in Southeast Asia. The conference provided a platform for the exchange of knowledge on early maritime trade, archaeological findings and excavations, and the religious and cultural influences that shaped this region. Scholars affirmed the role of Kedah Tua (ancient Kedah) and Bujang Valley as one of the main focal points of maritime trade between West Asia – specifically India – and the west coast of the peninsula, from the tip of the Isthmus of Kra down to Bruas. Their presentations confirmed the influence of Hindu-Buddhist religion in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Kedah Tua. Kedah Tua was one of the main entrepôt centres in Peninsular Malaysia, connected to other ports in the Southeast Asian region. It had trading links with cultural and economic hubs in the north, such as the Thai coastal cities of Khao Sam Kaeo, Khamaukgi, Lang Suan and the Khiong Thom Complex. In fact, the Orang Laut or sea nomads of Ko Lanta and the islands off southern Thailand in the Andaman Sea – whose ancestral home is believed to be Gunung Jerai – once traded with the Khiong Thom Complex, the southernmost part of the early Thai city-states nearest to Kedah Tua. Trade routes during this period centred on the Isthmus of Kra, with a narrow overland crossing (50 km) that connected the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. Kedah Tua, which existed from the 2nd to the 14th century AD, stretched along the west coast of the peninsula from the Isthmus of Kra to Bruas. Bujang Valley was its commercial and population hub, centred on the Sungai Muda Complex, with subsidiary centres at Sungai Bujang and Sungai Batu. The existence of Kedah Tua is recorded in Indian, Arab, and Chinese sources, as well as local records. It was referred to as Kadaram in Tamil, Kataha in Sanskrit, Chieh-Cha in Chinese, and Kalah in Arabic. Its location at the entrance of the Straits of Malacca – opening to the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal – favoured contact with Eastern and Southern India and other regional maritime ports. Its natural harbour and indigenous coastal and riverine settlements attracted traders who sailed with the monsoon winds. By the time the first Indian traders arrived, indigenous coastal settlements already existed at estuaries and riverbanks. Local religious and cultural practices – largely animistic – blended easily with the Hindu-Buddhist beliefs brought by Indian traders. Bujang Valley's status as a trade and commerce centre declined between the 15th and 18th centuries. Kedah had become a Muslim sultanate following the advent of Islam via Perlak and Pasai in the 13th century, which then spread across the Straits of Malacca into the peninsula. Although archaeological excavations point to the presence of Hindu-Buddhist culture in Bujang Valley, other faiths were also practised – including those of Arab and Chinese traders, as well as indigenous animism. Indian traders introduced Hinduism and Buddhism to the region, as evidenced by the widespread presence of candis and stupas. Among the most famous are Angkor Wat (12th century) in Cambodia and Borobudur (9th century) in Magelang, Java. Numerous terracotta statues from Bukit Choras, along with inscriptions, pottery, beads, jewellery and ceramics, confirm the region's Hindu-Buddhist heritage. The culture was not purely Indian but a hybrid, blending with indigenous beliefs. Seventeen well-preserved temple sites in Bujang Valley – including Bukit Choras, Ladang Sungai Batu, Bukit Batu Pahat, Kampung Pendiat, Pengkalan Bujang, and Permatang Pasir – located within the Sungai Batu, Pengkalan Bujang and Batu Pahat archaeological complexes, testify to the region's commercial trading settlements and Hindu-Buddhist influence. The connectivity of Kedah Tua with other maritime states 1. Architectural structure of the candis Candis across Southeast Asia share structural similarities, with local variations. The Bukit Choras structure resembles stupas in Ratnagiri and Udayagiri (India), and those from the Dvaravati period in central Thailand – square-based with niches housing Buddha images. However, the Bukit Choras stupa is smaller and simpler than the multi-tiered stupas of Thailand. Similar square stupas are found at Yarang (Pattani) and Candi Blandongan (Batujaya, West Java). Cambodia has a variety of simple to complex stupas. One of the earliest is the Piprahwa stupa. These architectural similarities across Bujang Valley, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia reflect a shared Hindu-Buddhist legacy and a link to Indian and Sri Lankan traditions. 2. The Buddha image Hindu-Buddhist images and stupas built by Indian traders are found throughout the region. Sculptures and reliefs include standing and sitting Buddha figures. Two standing Buddha types are commonly found: a. Varada mudra: right hand open and lowered, left holding the robe – found in Central Thailand and Bujang Valley (e.g. bronze standing Buddha in Kampung Pendiat, 6th–7th century). b. Dharmachakra mudra: both hands at chest level – also seen in Dvaravati-style images. Sitting Buddha images include: (i) Dharmachakra mudra – hands at chest level. (ii) Bhumisparsa mudra – right hand touching earth, left on lap. (iii) Varada mudra – right hand down, left holding alms bowl. (iv) Dhyana mudra – both hands in lap, palms up (e.g. Bukit Choras). (v) Abhaya mudra – left palm forward at shoulder, right hand down. Sitting Buddhas at Borobudur show Dharmachakra and Dhyana mudras. In Laos, they often appear in Bhumisparsa and Abhaya mudras. Cambodian and Chinese Buddhas (e.g. Shanxi, Guangzhou) also reflect these forms. These stylistic similarities show the spread of religious art and belief through maritime trade. 3. Inscriptions Inscriptions provide further evidence linking Kedah Tua and Bujang Valley with other Southeast Asian centres. Buddhist mantras (Mahayana sect) dating from the 6th to 14th centuries were found in Bukit Choras, Sungai Mas and Sungai Batu. Inscriptions were also found on stelae – upright stone slabs – like the Ram Khamhaeng Inscription (Thailand, 1292), Phimanakas stele (Cambodia), and the Buddhagupta stele discovered in Seberang Perai (Penang), which resembles those in southern Thailand. The Pallava script used is similar to that of King Purnavarman's inscriptions in Java. Other notable inscriptions include the Kutai/Mulavarman Inscription (Indonesia), the Khmer Sambor Inscription (683 CE), and inscriptions in Pali, Sanskrit and Khmer. The early history of Southeast Asia is a tapestry of cultural expression, shaped by maritime trade and unified by shared religious practices. Hindu-Buddhist beliefs predominated, evidenced by the archaeological remnants – stupas, images, inscriptions and traded goods such as beads, ceramics, pottery and jewellery. Kedah Tua, Bujang Valley and Bukit Choras are an integral part of this archaeological matrix. They reflect a shared philosophical and metaphysical understanding of existence – expressed through religion, trade and cultural exchange – that binds the region together in both cosmic and physical dimensions. Main image: Ghouse (left; in blue) at Bukit Choras in Yan on May 18, 2025.
BBC News
27-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
King Orry statue plans 'could impact Manx archaeology'
Concerns have been expressed about the archaeological impact of erecting a statue near Tynwald Hill of an 11th Century Manx Viking were submitted last month for an illuminated sculpture, nearly 8ft (more than 2m) in height, depicting Godred "King Orry" National Heritage (MNH) has requested the application be deferred until an investigation into the statue's likely visual and archaeological impacts can be properly a letter to the planning committee, MNH's inspector of ancient monuments Andrew Johnston said the plans for St John's would have a "substantive archaeological impact". 'Ritual and religious activity' The landscape around Tynwald Hill was "steeped in ritual and religious activity stretching back more than 3,000 years," said Mr pointed to the fact that Viking age burial sites, a Christian medieval cross, medieval assembly mounds, and religious sites both modern and medieval had been discovered in the area, either above ground or the "potential for further significant discoveries is evident", said Mr conservationist said a large statue would require "ground disturbance" for the construction of its foundation, the creation of a plinth, paving, and the provision of a buried electrical of these would "inevitably have a substantive archaeological impact", added Mr mitigation measures could include a geophysical survey to identify the presence of burial and archaeological remains, test excavations, and the "fine-tuning" of the statue's precise Johnston argued these measures should be done before the application can even be Orry was an 11th Century Viking warrior who made three attempts to capture the Isle of Man. He ultimately reigned for 16 years. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Euronews
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
'The first exhibition of its kind': The art of 'Young Poland' on display in Japan
ADVERTISEMENT More than 150 works including paintings, drawings and prints from the 19th and 20th centuries, are now on show in Japan in what's been described as a 'veritable treasure' of the most iconic examples of Polish Modernism. "The exhibition is of great significance for Polish-Japanese cultural relations. It makes it possible to present for the first time in the Land of the Cherry Blossom, works of art that constitute the canon of our national culture," said Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage Hanna Wróblewska during the official opening. Professor Andrzej Szczerski, Ph.D., director of the National Museum in Krakow, where most of the pieces of artistic craftmanship can be seen on a daily basis, assessed that this was 'the largest exhibition of Young Poland's art in Japan in history'. "The numerous audience and media representatives who attended the opening emphasised the artistic importance of the works on display and the significance of the exhibition, showing how the art of Young Poland was able to express both national content and speak the universal language of art," he said. The exhibition occupies the entire floor of MOMAK (The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto) and is arranged according to successive themes that speak, among other things, of inspirations from nature, history, Japanese influences and Polish national style. View Gallery 4 Photos Masterpieces of Polish modernism in the heart of Japan "This is a story of Polish history, the prologue of which is outlined by the works of Jan Matejko and Artur Grottger, but above all of Young Poland's art, which at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries not only built national identity, but also made Poland, although it did not exist on maps, present and successful in the artistic salons of Europe," reads the exhibition catalogue. Among the exhibits are works by such Polish masters as Olga Boznańska, Jacek Malczewski, Józef Mehoffer, Władysław Podkowiński, Józef Pankiewicz and Stanisław Wyspiański. Visitors will be able to admire, among others, Włodzimierz Tetmajer's "The Artist's Family", Leon Wyczółkowski's "Stańczyk" or Józef Pankiewicz's "Czesząca się". Jacek Malczewski's 'Portrait of Feliks Jasieński', 'Girl with Chrysanthemums' and 'Florists' by Olga Boznańska also flew to Kyoto. There will be 'Jane with a Japanese Doll' by Alphonse Karpinski, 'Musicians on the Bridge', 'Poppies' and 'Fears' by Wojciech Weiss, as well as 'The Bearded Woman' by Władysław Ślewiński. Also on display at MOMAK are two works by Boznanska that have never been exhibited before - these are 'Tulips' and 'Portrait of Mrs L'. While the painter was still alive, they ended up in the collection of Magosaburō Ōhara, a Japanese entrepreneur and collector and philanthropist. They are currently stored in the museum that completes his collection - the Ohara Museum of Art in Kurasiki, Japan. The phenomenon of 'Young Poland' - rebellion, freedom and individualism View Gallery 7 Photos As art historian and founder of the 'Outside the Frame' platform Maja Michalak explains Young Poland is a special and extremely diverse period in painting. Analogous to Young Germany or Young Scandinavia, because the artistic currents were similarly named in different places in Europe, which was to emphasise the freshness and innovative approach to art each time. "The domain and synonym of these times was the manifestation of rebellion, the demand for freedom and the desire to approach art in a different way and thus also to present what each of these artists was particularly close to," says Michalak. "The artists put more emphasis on their own individuality, making use of the various trends that intermingled at the time: art nouveau, impressionist, symbolist also or expressionist. And all these trends manifested themselves in a slightly different way in each artist," she adds. 'Japonism' - a fascination that brought two cultures together A special aspect of the exhibition in Kyoto is the opportunity to trace how Japanese aesthetics influenced Polish artists a century ago. "We also have to talk about the Japanism that prevailed at the time, i.e. the fascination with Far Eastern art, which was extremely intriguing and appealing to artists at the time," explains Michalak. "They drew from it not only directly elements such as fans and kimonos, which were imported and later shown in paintings, but also motifs such as dragonflies or peacocks, which were strongly associated with Asian culture. The diagonal way of composition and the introduction of more asymmetry were also taken from Japanese woodcuts." Urszula Kozakowska-Zaucha, curator of the Kyoto exhibition, points out the special role played by a well-known Polish art critic and collector in promoting Japanese art in Poland: "The works of these outstanding artists are accompanied by Japanese woodcuts, showing the link between Polish art and Japan. An important protagonist of the exhibition is the great art collector Feliks 'Manggha' Jasieński, to whom a separate section has been dedicated, and who, with his passion for collecting and his friendship with the Young Poland artists of Krakow, contributed to spreading among them the fashion for Japanism." ADVERTISEMENT Jasieński collected the best examples of Japanese art in his collection, which he made available to artists, sometimes even lending them to them. Eventually, in 1920, along with the entire art collection, he donated them to the National Museum in Krakow. "He also commissioned paintings from artists inspired by Japan, with which he was so much in love," adds Michalak. "This combination in the exhibition of Young Poland and Japan is not accidental. It may make it easier for the Japanese to come into contact with these works precisely because they will see elements that are part of their culture and that are easily read by them." 'Girl with chrysanthemums' - the symbol of the exhibition and Boznanska's renaissance The posters and animations promoting the exhibition featured Olga Boznańska's painting 'Dziewczynka z chryzantemami' - one of the most famous works of the Young Poland period. It seems that this choice is not accidental - Boznańska is currently experiencing a posthumous renaissance of popularity, and her subtle, psychological portrait art appeals to contemporary sensibilities. Interestingly, in the animation promoting the exhibition, the melancholic little girl in the painting this time smiles radiantly. "Olga Boznańska is one of those artists and one of those women who devoted her whole life to creating. She wanted to have the same opportunities to create as men and to be treated equally with them," explains Michalak. "She put everything on her career. She was very determined about it", adds the art critic. ADVERTISEMENT Boznańska spent most of her life in Paris, where she became particularly famous for her portraits full of emotion and psychological depth. "The way of painting is very characteristic and emblematic of Boznańska. Skillfull, close to the person portrayed, full of emotion. We can compare it to the way the Baroque artist Diego Velázquez used his paintbrush, because Boznańska was inspired by him among others, but also close to her, for example, Édouard Manet, James McNeill Whistler or Berthe Morisot. These psychological portraits are what we most associate with Olga Boznańska. And she is very rightly given her well-deserved place in the history of art", says Michalak. "I think that in general Young Poland is one of the best periods in our Polish painting, early painting," says Michalak. "We simply have a whole group of artists there who are not only interesting because of their history and what they wanted to convey, but also aesthetically and so purely visually. Whether we are talking about Boznańska or Pankiewicz, Mehoffer, Ślewiński - this is excellent painting and, in my opinion, this should be our export commodity and something with which Polish painting should be associated and further promoted abroad." The exhibit 'Young Poland: Polish Art 1890-1918", will be on show in Kyoto until 29 June. ADVERTISEMENT
BBC News
23-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Online access to family history records at Manx Museum
Access to an online family history resource has been made available at the Isle of Man national National Heritage (MNH) has signed an agreement with Ancestry to allow public access to the tool within the library and archives section of the Manx holds more than 60 billion searchable records from 88 countries around the world, including census records, civil birth, marriage and death records. The platform is also set to add the Isle of Man Parish registers to its platform next year. Migration and military records along with directories and photos are already available on the website. 'Add colour' The resource will be available between 10:00 and 16:30 GMT from Wednesday to Saturday each library and archives assistant Sarah Christian said the team enjoyed "welcoming homecomers from all over the world" as they looked for their "Manx roots and the places their ancestors lived, worked and died".She said members of the public can drop in to the facility and receive assistance in getting set up for the online resources and collections including on Ancestry and looking to use Ancestry would be given a code by staff with access to the tool only provided within the library and archive of the Isle of Man Family History Society Maggie Mulhern said having access to documents like the 1921 census, "helps add colour to our family stories". Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
