Last Sunday at the Art Institute of Chicago

I first thought I wanted to see the Field Museum.  I looked online, and they had an exhibit about horses and one about whales, but I changed my mind and decided to head to The Art Institute of Chicago, since they were advertising a special exhibit of kimono.

The building is beautiful on the outside.

I soaked in every element.

When I got inside and paid my admission, I also checked my bag.  I left my traveling camera in my bag, then went walking into the exhibit area.  When I saw these Korean vessels from about the year 1000, I stopped dead in my tracks.  I was overwhelmed and needed my camera in a bad way.

See, the rule is you may take photos of the regular exhibits, but not the special ones.  It is important to ask each room's curator if it is possible to take photos there.

I, in error, thought it would be easier to skip the photography altogether. Me.  Yeah, right.

I stood in wonder at how these works of art survived, and at

the talent of the artists who created them

The sense of wonder never left me.

I asked about photography in the kimono room. 

The answer was "no." 

I was so overcome with emotion at three of the kimono that I had  to hold back tears so I could read about them.  There were not many in number, but they were magnificent in their simple design, yet the technical aspect of the print creation is remarkable and the result stunning. I wish Mom had been with me.  If you Google "Kimono 1920" or "Kimono 1930" and choose "images" you will see something of what I mean about the beauty of these kimono.

Then I proceeded to the paperweight exhibit.  The description of how they are made impresses me, and makes them very desirable. I don't have one yet, but I am on the scout for a little gem.

I love the botanical ones that have roots. But really, who could choose just one?

AND then there are the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Please go to the link to view more of them.  I put my thumb in the picture for scale. There are 68 rooms total. As in this one, you can see one room from another, or sometimes the exterior of a room has gardens.

There are so many famous and stunning works at the Art Institute.

Here is Guido Reni's Salome and the Head of John the Baptist.

I wanted to see the "Primitive" room in the American wing, so I hurried down there.  The Curator there said he didn't get much traffic, so he was actually waving people in.

There was only one quilt, and its lighting was not good enough for a picture.  Here is "Sister Tuesday" by Leslie Bolling.  He is a self-taught artist who worked with a jack knife and then used gold pigment to make it look like bronze.

She was created in 1934.

Also in the primitive wing is this Mexican jar from around 1700.

As I was leaving the Institute for the day, I spied this German bowl with lid (1905).

At this point, I may have been missing my Kitten!