I felt so special when we were allowed to go into the galleries of Roads of Arabia before it was officially opened. I really loved the dim lighting in the galleries because it really accentuated the pieces. Amber, our guide, was so amazing and funny. She didn't just explain about the pieces, but added humor as well. The large, possibly horse-shaped, piece was what I was reading about in the booklet that I received about a week before, and I was really excited to see it in person. Amber said that it isn't really known whether it is a depiction of a horse or something else, but I think it's a horse or a donkey. I felt that the mouth and the shape of the head was the defining part, but since the whole piece wasn't there, we will never know for sure. But if it really was a horse, it could mean that people were domesticating horses way before people thought they were. At the same time, in the booklet, there was a little part about the differences between domesticating and taming. Maybe the horse made of stone was just tamed, not domesticated. It's a total mystery, but it is fun and interesting to think about.
I loved the incense because I've only ever known about the incense sticks that are used in praying and rituals in Asian countries. It was interesting to find out that incense were not only used in spiritual/ religious practices, but also in just freshening the air with better scents. I can't wait to go back into the galleries and looks at the pieces more closely.
- Queena