Elizabeth Catlett, Sharecropper, 1952. Elizabeth Catlett’s Sharecropper, possibly her most famous work, was made in Mexico, where she moved in 1946 to work at the Taller de Gráfica Popular (People’s Graphic Arts Workshop). She was influenced by the spirit of activism at the workshop, which inspired her to produce images of the hardships endured by African American women, as well as the accomplishments of figures such as Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. Sharecropper, like many of her other works, shows Catlett’s activism on behalf of African American women in the South, who she believed maintained their dignity in the face of great adversity.
oldrussia: At the tea table 1888, Konstantin Korovin. Выпей чайку - забудешь тоску. 
seabois: Victor Oreshnikov - Ballet dancer Alla Shelest
artemisdreaming: Yun Shouping, Pear Blossom and Moon . Very brief:Gleam of blossoms in the treetopsOn a moonlit night Basho
soircharmant:  Leonid Ossipovich Pasternak - Title unknown, 1891
worldpaintings: Ferdinand Hodler Detail of Woman in Ecstasy, 1911, oil on canvas, private collection, Solothurn Art Museum, Switzerland.
centuriespast: Buddhist Reliquary (Nyoiho_ju)ARTIST:Artist UnknownDATE:Momoyama-early Edo period This Japanese reliquary is in the shape of a ho_ju or “wish-granting jewel.” Such jewels are frequently encountered as an attribute of Buddhist deities and symbolize their ability to respond to the prayers of devotees. The veneration of relics has been an important part of Buddhism since the death of the historic sage, Shakyamuni, in the 6th century B.C. According to tradition, the cremated remains of the Buddha were divided into nine groups and memorial stupas were created to house them as places of worship. Some 230 years later King Asoka is said to have divided the nine groups of relics into 84,000, which he used to create stupas throughout India. This custom spread with the transmission of Buddhism throughout Asia. At some point, polished pebbles, stones, bits of sand-worn glass, and possibly bits of bone from high-ranking Buddhist priests, began to serve as substitutes for actual relics from the Buddha. Although this example probably dates to the late 16th or early 17th century, it is in the ornate style of the 13th century. A carefully fashioned rock crystal container, filled with relics, functions as the wish-granting jewel. Delicate bronze flanges form the cosmic flames of the jewel. The jewel sits atop a lotus, just as Buddhist deities stand or sit on lotus thrones, symbolic of their purity. The lotus is supported by a beautiful and ornate stand. A small keyhole in the base of the object allows the “flames” to open, so that relics can be removed and used to sanctify other places in preparation for temple construction. Because the creation of a Buddhist object—be it a painting, sculpture, or implement—is considered an opportunity to accrue religious merit, artists lavish particular care and artistry on their fabrication. Reliquaries, because of their important function as holders of actual or symbolic relics, were especially prized objects. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
omgthatartifact: Teapot Persia The Metropolitan Museum of Art
centuriespast: Fan DancerARTIST:Unknown, Japanese Unknown, JapaneseDATE:c. 1640-1650 The Minneapolis Institute of Arts 
dynamicafrica: “Trumpeter” (2011) By Nigerian Ibibio artist Ekong Emmanuel Ekefrey.
arreter: Konrad Krzyzanowski, Portrait of a Russian Actress, 1897
fyeaheasterneurope: The Church of St. George in Oplenac. Topola, Serbia. Built in 1910, the church contains the mausoleum of the Karađorđević family - the last ruling family of Serbia, and later of Yugoslavia.
centuriespast: MOMPER, Joos de (b. 1564, Antwerpen, d. 1634/35, Antwerpen) Village at Full MoonOil on oak panel, 57 x 88 cmNational Gallery, Prague
sagenundlegenden: Pliska Rosette.  Proto-Bulgarian runic calendar, bronze, 8th-9th century A.D. The outer circle probably represents the 5 known planets along with the sun and moon,  the inner circle the days of the week.  The center IYI rune represents the sun god Tangra.  A clearer view of the runes can be seen on a reproduction here.