Xy picked up this bust at a yard sale around the corner a couple years ago. Recently one of our feline boarders knocked it off the shelf, and it broke into three easy pieces.
We were surprised to find Greek newspaper inside the neck. Did it come all the way from Greece? Don’t know. But over the Thanksgiving holiday, I fixed it with Gorilla Glue, using rubber bands to clamp the pieces together.
At least I feel like I accomplished something, a feeling to be savored no matter how fleeting.
Update: My friend Tall Steve (a.k.a. City Councilchicken Volan) writes in with the following:
It most definitely came from Greece. You can even date it somewhat from the text (which appears to be an obituary section: the large word which looks like “Kndeiai” refers to burial, and I think means “is buried” or “being buried”).
This newspaper uses polytonic orthography, which means it’s no younger than 1982, but it’s probably older than that. I’d guess it’s from the 1960s.
Wait! Did you unball the newpaper? Was there anything inside? Did you return the paper to the bust before repairing it? Inquiring minds and all that.
Inquiring Art History majors, too! Do you think it is relatively modern, or perhaps very old?
kat detectives: they solve one mystery and start another one. thats why im a dog person.
my dog would have broke the bust , ate the grecian news paper , got sick, , pooped all over the house, and than felt guilty for being a dog. doing what dogs do.
at least a dog will look you in the eye after they have done wrong.
thats why i can forgive them. they have a conscience. unlike politicians and cats.
i never understood cat owners.
i think maybe we could pave the way for new orleans if we could get cat owners and dog owners to understand each other.
maybe we could get some folks who have both dogs and cats in the same household to lead the way.
Alas, I did not think to unball the newspaper. It was kind of attached to the ceramic, but I think it could have been removed without damage. I just didn’t think of it. If the cats break it again I’ll have a second chance. But see Steve’s comments which I added to the post!