Imagining the Divine: Art and the Rise of World Religion (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford)

I arrived in Oxford yesterday to a flurry of snow. A bitterly cold day it might have been but the flakes of snow lasted a matter of moments and the sky was sunny. This exhibition - Imagining the Divine - had been on my list for a while and with time running out (it closes on 18th February) I found a great train deal (£5 each way from London) and booked my day.

As I wandered into the city I was drawn to the canal (always drawn to water). So I took a short detour and walked along the towpath a little way before heading into the city centre where I had lunch in a beautiful old building. Almost next door stood St Michael's Church with a Saxon Tower going back around a thousand years. Well, I was in there! For £3 you could climb the 90 odd steps to the roof and on the way there are a couple of stopping off points with displays (even a chair if you need it). In one display I found a copy of William Morris's marriage certificate to Jane Burden. Lots of ancient documents were on display as well as the old prison door and the mechanism for the old church clock. The bells, though still there, are now silent due to the vibration to the tower and possible damage. From the roof there is a wonderful view across the city. Not to missed.

From the roof of the Saxon tower

Oxford Canal

Dragging myself away I then headed to the Ashmolean Museum for the exhibition. No photos were allowed but that is understandable as the artifacts are so old. The exhibits are from the main faiths - Jewish, Christian, Islam, Hindu and Buddhist. It was interesting to see similarities and where mergers occurred. Very early depictions of Christ were based on Roman gods and religions drew from other religions and earlier sources as faiths spread. This was in keeping with an online course I am doing at the moment about the Qur'an as its relationship to Judaism and Christianity. Interesting course though complex and tough at times.

The exhibition was really well put together and while there is some overlap the different religions had their own sections but the art did mix - Roman with Christian, a Jewish book written in the style of Islamic ones. Hinduism is the oldest religion and out of that came Jainism, Buddhism. It's interesting to see how all religions splinter off into different groups just as Christianity has Methodists, Catholics, Baptists and a whole host of others. We hear a lot about Shia' and Sunnis on TV (Islam), but there are others including the Sufi's. I find the Hindu religion the most difficult to get to grips with with their many incarnations of gods. However the stories are interesting and colourful and every faith has a creation story (even pagans have one of those) and we all share a lot in common.

After finishing my walk through of exhibition I decided to seek out a few other displays in the museum. Rooms are dedicated to different continents or countries. I had to look at the pre-history one as that's one of my fascinations, as well as some more Christian and Islamic ones. I love Islamic art and one display reminded me again of the course I am doing - the story of Potiphar's wife and Joseph. This appears in the Qur'an and what is interesting is the art piece because it features faces. Early Islamic art did include faces and animals. It was only later this was forbidden. However, I love the geometric patterns and lettering used in their art.

Above & below - The story of Potphar's Wife & Joseph from The Qur'an

There is so much to see at the Ashmolean that another visit would be useful. On my way back to the station I took a quick walk along another section of the canal and found where the castle is. There was no time to visit - that's on the list for next time. I really loved my day out.

Saxon Tower

What a lovely name - comes from the fact that the old bridge was wobbly!
(Near Oxford Castle)