This mysterious door is in Ethiopia. Photo taken by Eileen Delhi. Click here to see Eileen's Flickr photostream."In the Universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors" - William Blake
Another door in Ethiopia by Eileen Delhi. Click to see more here.
Yet another of my passions...
Doors and doorways in Africa.
A doorway in Egypt. Found on Tumblr with no credit or links.
Many are mysterious....
..... or there's a magnificent animal
or two
wandering through.
Elephants at Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia. See story here.
Watch this video. It will make your day!
And then there are the carved doors of Mali, which I love most of all.
Yendouma Ato, Dogon Country, Mali by Xavier Ceccaldi
Dogon Door found here.
This breathtaking door is in a museum in The States but I've not found the link.
Letterboxes have doors so I am adding this video to the post. Another amazing story to give you goosebumps. Thanks Marg for sending it to me.
Strathewen: The Letterbox Project from ABC Open Goulburn Valley on Vimeo.
"There is a door. It opens. Then it is closed. But a slip of light stays, like a scrap of unreadable paper left on the floor, or the one red leaf the snow releases in March" - Jane Hirshfield
I'm still having trouble with spacing, font size etc. Not sure what's up with Blogger!
ReplyDeleteOh how I love old doors. I have a garage full just waiting for that special place to put them. These are all quite gorgeous!
ReplyDeletei a'door(e)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous doors.....and such rich a rich metaphor! Love the quotes as well...once again, thank you Robyn, for the time you take to put together your fabulous posts!!
ReplyDeleteI love the doors you've chosen. I had a field day in India photographing some myself.
ReplyDeletexoxo Kim
What amazing doors you've found - and all the metaphors for doors are always so mysterious to me - love the quotes. And that elephant video - boy my breath slowed - the music was wonderful - what wondrous creatures!
ReplyDeletemagnificent images. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletealways beautiful eye candy when i stop by your blog. and the elephants were magical to watch.
ReplyDeletec'est de là que vient ta fabuleuse créativité!!!
ReplyDeletebeautiful doors...and the william blake quote is spot on! i enjoyed watching the elephants....such noble creatures....thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful collection of doors. I have some photos of long spaces in Egyptian temples leading to doors, they are among my favorites from my trip there. Such GRAND spaces and small exits! The carved doors are just amazing and I love the first one. I would have loved such an old, weathered door on my new studio, but in order to keep the space well insulated, we went for a new door. I've been thinking a lot about doors and thresholds lately as you read in my most recent post. It was SOOO important to me that I had a beautiful door, not some metal, ugly thing that would have been the cheapest way to go.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the beauty seen from your perspective. Oh and the Giraffe Manor sounded just amazing!
Every shot is fascinating. A couple of friends have coffee tables made from old doors and I'm on the look out for one that might sweep in on the beach. I love the elephants coming through the hallway. About to watch the clip. thanks. Ax
ReplyDeleteYes you were quite right Robyn...the video did make my day! Just love seeing the elephants in all their beauty and majesty. And, what a treat to see all the doors....
ReplyDeleteI love doors too and these are all stunning! I am off to watch the video.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love your doors too!
xoxo
what a fabulous post....
ReplyDeletegorgeous old doors and the most delightful video..thanks for brightening up my day again!
oh these are all so beautiful and wonderful. I too love doors and literally have trouble closing them. Many of the doors in my house stay open a crack because of my reluctance. Unfortunately, none of my doors look like these nor have a giraffe looking in!
ReplyDeleteOh Doors!
ReplyDeleteNow I'm off and running to check the Mali links. Thanking you again Robyn,,for all your fine posts!
And that video,,,wow!
Those carved doors are wonderful! I need to go and check the links to Mali now. The elephants and giraffe made me smile.
ReplyDeleteI love carved wood.
Jacky xox
That last wonderful door, I would love to see it in the flesh. I love doors.
ReplyDeleteThe video was so close up, thanks for sharing. I loved seeing how their bodies move and watching them cuddled up for a nap. I'd never pictured elephants like that.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful doors. Oh the possibilities!
It would be marvelous to come home to a door like one of these. Your heart would be encouraged to dash home so you could see this welcoming sight. To have a giraffe with those huge liquid eyes surrounded by lush lashes requesting a treat through your door would be amazing. How could one resist??
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful are these doors.
ReplyDeleteThe carving is wonderful.
Amazing passages.. and everyone single door in the world goes somewhere different.. I love doors!!!
ReplyDeleteThe giraffe Manor image is so fun; like Alice in Wonderland only better. I can imagine opening a door to find a friendly giraffe! Thank you Robyn. You have opened many doors for me - the one to learn about South Africa, the one to learn about art, and the one to learn about friendship.
ReplyDeleteDoors entice me, too, especially old ones in ancient places. I've photographed many over the years and wondered about life behind those doors. In Athens we were ingrigued by the worn stone thresholds, thinking about the vast number of times people stepped through the doors, wearing the stone into ruts. Saw something similar in western France. Nowadays people would pull up the worn threshold and replace it with something pristine and uninteresting.
ReplyDeleteThe elephant video makes me long to visit that place, and the letterbox one caused tears. Thanks for both.
I'm reading this post in New York at 8PM ib tge 11tg--As usual, gorgeous images, thoughtful text choices, but NO VIDEOS where they were indicated to be. I see from the comments that others have seen them...but something must have happened. I get this problem with e blogger often, then go to the help section and fill out the 'something is broken' and 'ask a question', remember to save at the bottom and usually the videos are then shortly restored. (I use copy/paste and the video insert icon, not imbed for all of my video inserts (maybe that makes a diff.)
ReplyDeletechecked back after this comment and the video is there--yes-made the evening!
ReplyDeletedoors to worlds within our world...how beautiful Robyn!
ReplyDeleteI don't remember how I found your blog but I am enjoying it very much. The letterbox video was fantastic, what a great story!
ReplyDeleteRobyn, I came back for another look and saw the letterbox video, it made me cry, so beautiful and so simple an idea. I love it when good comes out of something sad.
ReplyDeleteThank you for adding it, it made my day. xoxo
Love old doors too - and that elephant video is superb. Lovely little trusting babies lying so close to their big friend.
ReplyDeletethank you for the inspiration!
ReplyDeletemy imagination sparks now,
alight
with meaningful metaphors.
All the different doors I've seen pinterest .. amazing! I even had a board for them, but deleted to creat some others. And the elephants!! Ever since I saw the Dumbo cartoon when I was little, I've loved elephants. Wish I could be in the courtyard with them! Are they tame? Was that a hotel or a restaurant? And wondering why they like it there so much .. sleeping beneath the tree!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonders .. love giraffes too .. their soulful eyes.
Beautiful doors so wonderfully tactile. My desk is a door, I must unearth it & give it back it's rightful place, as something useable!
ReplyDeleteI have always been intrigued by doors.. because of their multiple purposes..closed for protection, safety, hiding secrets, keeping mysteries... opened for clarity, adventure, experiences, revealing secrets.
ReplyDelete"The doors in between"
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes to my mind is : The Doors - Jim Morrison, who died in Paris in 1971, lies buried in Père La Lachaise and is still surrounded by his adoring fans.
Your posts always have such depth that I have to wait to see them when I have enough time to take it all in! You do a wonderful job of covering a thought using many facets. An art in itself.
ReplyDeleteI love doors on so many levels...the beauty of the Ethiopian doors, the graphic black and white borders...just love them!
ReplyDeleteand
the mail boxes
what a wonderful project, small doors opening onto hope.
x..x
Shame on you for this post - Ethiopia, giraffe and elephants - it just makes me realize I must get to Africa again soon!
ReplyDeleteYum, Yum, Yum Robyn! Beautiful elephants and William Blake....oh so nourishing for the soul
ReplyDeleteSooZeQue, pity I can't pop over to see your garage !
ReplyDeleteMansuetude, and so say all of us :-)
Patti, it's amazing how a quote can make one's day.
Numinosity Kim, Oooo Beautiful doors in India. Looking forward to seeing more of your photos.
Judy S, I never get tired of watching these elephants. Hard to believe they are wild and return every year in mango season.
deanna7trees, glad you enjoyed them.
Rebeca, there's something very touching about elephants.
ELFI, yes fabuleuse!
justjody, I can't resist doors, quotes and elephants.
Valerianna, old weathered doors always catch my attention but an old Ethiopian door with traces of ancient paintings just blew me away.
Annie K, please let me know when your door sweeps in :-)
Cynthia, can you believe they are wild elephants?!
Annie C, both videos are a treat to watch. xoxo
ReplyDeleteLisa, glad you enjoyed the video.
Mim, we've had a few snakes looking in but how many people are lucky enough to have a giraffe at one's door.
Babs, smiling at your new icon.
Jacky, enjoy the links!
Penny, the last door is extraordinary isn't it?!
Shayla, seeing the young elephants so relaxed is an amazing sight. They must feel very safe there. To think they are completely wild!
Lisa at G, giraffe's do have the most beautiful eyes.
Art at Chesterbrook, each door I've featured gave me goosebumps. Very special doors!
Gwen, doors... passages .... portals ... my imagination is beginning to race.
Leslie, smiling back at you my friend :-)
Jo Reimer, I must admit both videos made me quite emotional too.
Ms, I'm having problems with Blogger, every post. Glad you managed to see the video.
Laura, these images really make me appreciate the internet.
Tracey B, so glad you found my blog.
Annie C, I'm glad you came back to see the letterbox video. When Margaret sent it to me I didn't want to wait for another post to show it. The way I see it is the letterboxes opened a door between devastation and hope.
ReplyDeleteWeaver, these elephants must feel very safe to behave like this. It is so touching.
Anca, happy you are inspired :-)
Jann, they are wild elephants and they visit every year when the mango trees are in fruit. The lodge just happens to be in their path so they began walking through the foyer and have returned every year since. I wrote a post about them a few years ago but I'm still just as moved by the story as I was the first time I heard it.
Emma, it sounds as if your door is serving it's purpose as a desk.What is more "useable" than that ?
Donna, I carved a series of secret doors and add to it from time to time.
Wim, yes it is amazing how many fans still flock to pay homage to Jim Morrison.
Thanks so much Robin.
Stephanie, I imagine the mosaic letterboxes looked like jewels against the charred background.
Heather, sorry to taunt you :-) If you go to Ethiopia go on tour rather than on your own.
Kim S, I found this post nourishing to my soul too.
Lovely post. Old doors are wonderful- they add depth of character to any space and they are so versatile; they would work equally well in a contemporary or themed setting.
ReplyDeleteWonderful collection. Love the idea of doorways and gateways to other worlds.
ReplyDeleteHi Robyn,
ReplyDeleteThat elephant video was something! Look at all of those doors. Don't you just feel like you could walk through them and be transported? Your blog never disappoints. xo
Wonderful doorways. I adore the elephant video...it made me think of a movie made in the 1954 called Elephant Walk.
ReplyDeleteI am going to show my husband the Giraffe Manor web site tonight...I think he will be quite open to my dream of Africa...it is Valentine's Day and I am bringing out the good china, candles and wine.
The story about the post boxes is wonderful, proves that Art Heals.
The photo of the door in Egypt takes my breath awa ...thresholds speak of that time in between.
ReplyDeleteR - thanks for the reminder - the beauty and mystery of doors and what might be behind them. In NYC Fiona and I went to the Cloisters and I was intrigued by the private shrines of the middle ages with their doors to preserve the sacred words or icons within - an inspiration for new work? Go well. B
ReplyDeletein awe of these doors...
ReplyDeleteI want to touch those doors! Thankyou so much too for the mosaic letterbox video ( of course!).
ReplyDeleteamazing, amazing doors.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to the letter box video. Wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteOf course, I love doors too.
Doors! We visit a lot of National Trust properties and my wife frowns at the time I spend looking at wooden doors. I love this post :) regards Dave
ReplyDeleteThanks Shalini.
ReplyDeleteDon, doorways, gateways .... and stairways.
Karine, yes the elephant video warms my heart too.
Mo'a, hope your Valentine's Day dinner went well.
Mary Anne, I love the sense of space in the Egyptian image. Breathtaking!
Barry, your visit to the Cloisters sounds very inspiring.
India, yes!
HHnB, I was going to email the letterbox video to you in case you hadn't seen it but one thing lead to another and of course I forgot. Glad you have seen it :-)
Velma, my feeling exactly!
Dolores, the letterbox video made my day too.
Dave, old wooden doors like these need to be touched don't they?!Especially if they are carved.
Dear Robyn, thank you for such a beautiful post. Your doorways are beautiful, and I love the Jane HIrshfield quote..."but a slip of light stays..." and the beautiful letter box video. Very moving.
ReplyDeleteroxanne
Love these doors.
ReplyDeleteI went to Morocco once and loved the doors and windows there too.
Every time I come visit your blog I want to go visit every single link you post about. So much to see, so little time...