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The MAO and Giovanna

Tuesday, 2 October, 2018

The temperature dipped and on went the warmer clothes. Calendar Fall is already here and now Real Fall is settling in wherever it can. The light is different and the air is clearer. How long till I can really see the Alps?

The sunrises are golden
The sunrises are golden
The architecture is golden too
The architecture is golden too

The free museum days in Torino are perfect for me. I don’t like to spend too much time looking around and in London this means I can pop in for a short time, leave when tired, and come back again when I have an inclination. Torino has designated days each month for free visits. First Tuesdays, first Saturdays, first Sundays…with a few others thrown in for good measure. On the first Tuesday of October, I went to the MAO – Museo d’Arte Orientale (Museum of Oriental Art). It’s on Via San Domenica in the Quadrilatero so an easy walk.

Narrow street of the Quadrilatero
Narrow street of the Quadrilatero
One side of the MAO's beautiful gate, which leads to a corridor - like a zen garden
One side of the MAO’s beautiful gate, which leads to a corridor – like a zen garden
The architect's date stamp, a stepping stone to another time
The architect’s date stamp, a stepping stone to another time

The exhibit on the main floor was of photographs of the Nomads of Asia. This didn’t sound all that interesting but I was wrong. I was so struck by these peoples who wander the plains of Asia – China, Asia, India, the middle East – living a life unchanged for hundreds of years. Some of the colours and clothing and customs were stunning. It seemed almost impossible to imagine that they were living in the same century that I was, or on the same planet at times.

These women in Russia had the most beautiful dresses. They stood beside a tent made of dozens of animal skins
These women in Russia had the most beautiful dresses. They stood beside a tent made of dozens of animal skins

Of course, I am struck by the images of women, doing the tasks that have never changed. The only clue that these are modern women are in the photos showing plastic bags and other paraphenalia around the walls of their tents. In three different regions of this massive continent, there are so many similarities.

And, most strikingly, this woman weaving, while tending to her child. No doubt there is food simmering somewhere that she will pay attention to. This multitasking changes from culture to culture yet is always the same in nature. The job of nurturing.

I’m always struck by the Gujarati of India. Gujarati people are descended from Aryan nomads who lived in the  valleys of the Indus River in 2000 BC and settled in Gujarat. They now make make up about one third of the diaspora worldwide.

The Aryan colouring of the Gujarati of India
The Aryan colouring of the Gujarati of India

As is often the case, the museum was more interesting than expected. I loved the photo exhibition. I liked the exhibit spaces less and I felt a little stifled.

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