Artifacts

 I snapped this picture while roaming, doubtlessly hopefully lost, in some alleyway in Venice. It's one of those reminders (which is probably why I snapped the picture in the first place) of the rich history of Venice, but it also speaks to the complexity of trying to make sense of that history of any history for that matter (which is probably why I snapped the picture in the first place). It's easy to see it as symbolic of the central role that Venice played in international trade for centuries, although, in the great scheme of things, is it really any different than those godawful black lawn jockeys that used to be so popular in so many parts of the US (and I'm sure you could see them today without much searching, sadly)? In addition to general trade, Venice played a huge role in the slave trade, so it's much more likely that this is a representation of a slave than of some visiting African prince. 

This is another in a very long line of instances of me getting stuck in place, fixated on some little historical artifact, which I guess means that I chose the right career. That said, it's a lot harder to stand around examining these fascinating little corners of the world when standing in one place for five minutes is painful.