24th february 2005
air temple

Humans as birds, human figures with the heads of birds we feel we know quite well (apart from this peculiar Edward Burra painting, called by him Birdmen and Pots: despite its coy title, surely this is an Italian renaissance pox-doctor's surgery, with clients masked to preserve their respectability).
But what about birds as humans? The other day in the British Museum's Islamic Art room I came upon this (apologies for poor photo, I wasn't even sure whether photography was permitted at this point; it is):

and recognized it straight away from childhood readings of an Escher book from the public library. It figures here, from 1934, and better known here from 1947.
In my excitement I forgot to write down where it came from or what it is, and so have no idea: it isn't on the Museum's website, rather oddly. But it kind of looks as though Escher either owned one, or knew it well.


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