Surprise watercolors bequest to the Courtauld

A shy spinster who spent her life amassing an extraordinary collection of fine watercolours worth millions of pounds has bequeathed them to the nation.

Dorothy Scharf was so reticent that she relied on her mother, who lived next door, to communicate on her behalf.

The collection of paintings that she built up until her death two years ago has astonished the art world. Eight masterpieces by Turner, along with paintings by Gainsborough and Constable, are among 51 important watercolours that she has left to the world-renowned Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery in London. The donation is the most significant single addition to the Courtauld in more than a quarter of a century.

From the Times of London, with thanks to reader Adrian Tschoegl.

Ancient aquatics

Determining the daily activities of prehistoric people is difficult without written records, but scientists have figured out a way to identify individuals who often engaged in intense water-related activities, such as diving, surfing and fishing.

Don't know about the fishing, unless you are in the habit of continually falling in the water.

According to a paper accepted for publication in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, abnormal ear canal bone masses, called auditory exostoses, can be linked to aquatic activities. Like a sort of skeletal tattoo, the masses mark the remains of some early individuals. . .

The researchers analyzed 676 skeletons dating from 5,000 years ago to more recent times from 27 coastal and inland native Brazilian groups. As predicted, few inlanders possessed the bone masses, but many coastal groups had them. Skeletons from only one region, the southern part of the state of Santa Catarina, presented differences between the sexes, suggesting that women usually, but not always, went out on the water as men did.

There's also mention of ancient Roman skeletons being examined. Full article here.

Turkey restores Armenian church

Turkey has renovated a 1,100-year-old church in the east of country, in what is seen as a gesture to improve ties with neighbouring Armenia.

The ceremony on Akdamar island on Lake Van was attended by senior Armenian officials, despite the two countries' lack of diplomatic ties. . .

About 70,000 Armenians live in Turkey today. The church will now be a museum.

It will not function as a church, though there is pressure from Armenians both inside and outside Turkey for worship to be permitted there.

The Church of Surp Khach - or Holy Cross - is one of the finest surviving monuments of Armenian culture in the region.

It had long been left empty and neglected, its intricate wall carvings depicting biblical scenes crumbling.

From the BBC.

Getty wreath returned to Greece

A spectacular golden wreath dating back to the 4th Century BC is due to go on display at the National Archaeology Museum in Greece.

The Macedonian wreath was returned to Athens at the weekend by the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Full story at the BBC.

Attack of the giant toads

Australian environmentalists trying to slow the inexorable spread of the toxic cane toad have found a "monster" male during a night-time raid on a pond near Darwin.

The toad, measuring 20.5 cm (8.1in) and weighing nearly 1kg (2lb), was one of 39 picked in a "breeding frenzy" and is thought to be the largest ever found in the tropical Northern Territory.

Cane toads are a classic example of introduced species running amok and wiping out local fauna.

As part of its 'Toad Buster' project, Frogwatch conducts regular raids on local water holes, blinding the toads with bright lights then scooping them up by the dozen.

“We kill them with carbon dioxide gas, stockpile them in a big freezer and then put them through a liquid fertiliser process," Mr Sawyer said. “It turns out to be sensational fertilizer.”

Wonder what the packaging looks like? From the Times of London. For more background, you might consider the entertaining 1988 documentary, Cane Toads: An Unnatural History. Wikipedia entry here.