Latest news with #artisticachievement
Sky News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Trump praises Frank Spencer actor as he prepares for major summit - sometimes the script writes itself
It's official. Donald Trump will host the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors - Washington's annual black-tie celebration of artistic achievement. In previous years, occupants of the White House simply attended the event in the building named after President John F Kennedy. Earlier this year, the US president sacked the board and installed himself as chairman and is threatening to put his own name on the door. "GREAT nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY Center, whoops, I mean KENNEDY CENTER AWARDS…" he posted on his Truth Social platform. Vowing that the show will be "non-woke", he announced this year's nominees - a stroll through Trump's cultural sweet spot: George Strait, who's branded the king of country music Sylvester Stallone, who, as Rocky Balboa, defeated the Cold War in a boxing ring Gloria Gaynor, whose "I will survive" could double as Trump's campaign theme KISS, whose pyrotechnics will have the Secret Service on edge all evening And, wait for it, the British Broadway star, Michael Crawford Crawford's West End and Broadway career spans Barnum, The Woman in White and, of course, The Phantom Of The Opera.. The Phantom's tendency to buy grand, chandelier-filled buildings, has won the approval of the real-estate mogul now remodelling the White House. 0:45 But there's something Americans might have missed - the character who made Michael Crawford a household name back home: Frank Spencer. The star of the sitcom "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em" was endlessly optimistic but completely hapless, and oblivious to his own incompetence. Revealing that he would host the awards himself, just two days before he hosts Vladimir Putin, is quintessential Trump, the prime-time president. But "Ooh Betty," as Frank Spencer would say, when Donald Trump extols Michael Crawford, an icon of slapstick comedy, the script writes itself.
South China Morning Post
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Palace Museum offers magic carpet ride from Islamic empires
We're all familiar with Aladdin's magic carpet, but have you ever wondered from which corner of the Islamic world it might hail? The Hong Kong Palace Museum 's latest exhibition might provide some clues. Organised in collaboration with the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, 'Wonders of Imperial Carpets' presents around 100 masterpieces collected from the Safavid dynasty in Iran (1501-1736), Mughal dynasty in India (1526-1857) and Ottoman dynasty in Turkey (1299-1923), illustrating the rich cultural and artistic exchange that took place between epochs and regions. Often crafted under royal patronage, imperial carpets were made using traditional Arab techniques and materials such as pashmina wool, silk and gold and silver thread, reflecting a cultural heritage dating back to at least the 7th century BC. A mid-13th century silver-and-gold-inlaid brass basin, from the Ayyubid dynasty or the Mamluk Sultanate, Syria. Photo: courtesy The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha The creation of these artefacts was a years-long process, employing highly skilled artisans and the finest materials and dyes sourced from across the Arab world. These carpets were not only functional but also served as symbols of power and artistic achievement, featuring elaborate patterns such as floral motifs, medallions and calligraphic elements that evolved over centuries. The most precious examples were treasured in royal households and used in ceremonial contexts, often being gifted to kings and emperors in acts of tribute and statecraft. Also on display at the exhibition are the Shah Sulayman 'hunting' carpet, a gift from the Safavids to Francesco Morosini, leader of the Republic of Venice in the late 17th century, and the Kevorkian Hyderabad carpet, which at almost 16 metres is one of the longest Islamic carpets in a museum collection anywhere in the world. Around 100 treasures from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha have been loaned to the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Photo: courtesy The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha Other highlights include the Çintamani prayer rug from the Ottoman court, decorated with the auspicious çintamani motif, and a floral Xinjiang carpet from the Qianlong period (1735-1796).
