EXCLUSIVE: 500-year-old Da Vinci sculpture unveiled

Leonardo Da Vinci's "Horse and Rider" sculpture (Jolson PR)A 504-year-old sculpture created by Leonardo Da Vinci was unveiled to the world in a special ceremony in Los Angeles this week. The "Horse and Rider" sculpture is the only known three-dimensional piece of art created by Leonardo that is known to still exist and is one of only about two-dozen authenticated works made by the Renaissance master in the world today.

"It's a momentous occasion, Art Encounter's Rod Maly told Yahoo! News before the statue's unveiling at the historic Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. "It's been in private collections for nearly 500 years, so it has not been promoted. Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of mankind."

And in a development that is sure to intrigue both historians and art fans alike, the sculpture is believed to contain a thumbprint of Leonardo himself.

For the past 500 years, the sculpture has only existed in beeswax form, along with the original mold itself. Experts spent the last three years crafting the first metal "master" sculpture, using the original mold, hand-crafted by Leonardo.

The small sculpture mold measures 12'' high, 12'' long and 7'' high and is believed to have been intended to serve as the model for a much larger sculpture. "Horse and Rider," features a Renaissance military figure riding upon a horse was created in 1508 by Leonardo as a gift for his friend and benefactor, French military governor Charles d'Amboise. After Leonardo's death in 1519, the sculpture was given to his apprentice Francesco Mezi and is believed to have remained with his family in Italy until the 1930's when it was moved to Switzerland for safe-keeping.

A thumbprint believed to belong to Leonardo Da Vinci (Eric Pfeiffer/Yahoo! News)

In 1985, American businessman Richard A. Lewis purchased the mold. "In all honesty, I was very na?ve to what I had," Lewis told Yahoo! News during an interview before the statue's unveiling. That same year, Lewis was contacted Dr. Carlo Pedretti, widely considered to the world's foremost living authority on Leonardo and Professor Emeritus of Art History and the Chair of Leonardo Studies at UCLA. Dr. Pedretti studied and eventually authenticated the mold.

"For someone to call up and say 'I think I own a Leonardo Da Vinci mold,' you're like yeah right, I'd like to put it next to my Mona Lisa," Brett Barney, president of the American Fine Arts Foundry told Yahoo! News. "But when he brought it in, right away we knew we had something."

Using what is called a "lost wax casting process," Barney and his team at the Foundry spent three years working with the mold and eventually created a bronze casting from it. In essence, they have created a new piece of sculpture from one of the world's true artistic masters, nearly 500 years after his death.

"It's the opportunity of a lifetime," Barney said. "To be part of a masterpiece by Da Vinci himself, I can't think of anybody that would be more prestigious."

When the mold was studied in detail, it was discovered that along the horse's right breast a thumbprint exists. And while there is currently no way to verify, the print is believed to belong to Leonardo himself.

The mold casting actually sat in Lewis' closet for more than 25 years before he contacted the Foundry. And now, Lewis is determined to share the discovery with the world. And along with the piece's historic value, Lewis is using the unveiling for a good cause. Several hundred metal castings have been made from the mold, which Art Encounter will be auctioning off. Lewis himself has committed to donating $1 million of the proceeds to the Salvation Army's substance abuse program.

"It is a magnificent piece of art and I'd like to have as many people as possible be able to appreciate it," Lewis told Yahoo! He said he eventually plans to donate the original mold and master sculpture to a museum.

After it's unveiling in Los Angeles, the mold and master sculpture will be displayed at various locations in New York, London and Las Vegas, home to a new Leonardo exhibit at the Venetian Hotel.

The original "Horse and Rider" mold crafted by Leonardo Da Vinci (Jolson PR)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/exclusive-500-old-leonardo-da-vinci-sculpture-horse-201456519.html

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Mango chicken salad in avocado boats recipe

Sweet chunks of mango are tossed into a creamy chicken salad and served in cute little avocado boats. Portable and perfect for your next picnic.

While avocados are very healthy, they can also be a super fun way to serve chicken salad. This chicken salad is loaded with mangos, spices and sunflower seeds, giving it lots of flavors and different textures. Perfect poolside or for your next picnic with the family.

Mango chicken salad in avocado boats recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 large avocados
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, diced or shredded
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup celery, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Splash of agave nectar or pure maple syrup
• Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
• Sunflower seeds as garnish (may also substitute peanuts, cashews or pine nuts)?

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl add all of the ingredients except for the avocados. Mix the chicken salad well and chill several hours to allow the flavors to blend.
2. Before serving cut the avocados in half removing the seed.
3. Divide the chicken salad among the four avocado halves. Top with fresh cilantro and sunflower seeds. Serve immediately.

More chicken salad recipes

Farm stand chicken salad
Chicken waldorf salad
Buffalo chicken salad

Source: http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/968501/mango-chicken-salad-in-avocado-boats-recipe

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Umbrellas at the ready for starry Paralympics ceremony

The London 2012 Paralympics began Wednesday with an opening ceremony that looked to the skies, paying tribute to host Britain's achievements in understanding the universe -- and its rainy weather.

The packed 80,000-seater Olympic Stadium was filled with colourful, giant umbrellas, while Stephen Hawking, the world's most famous living scientist, urged people to take nothing for granted and to look to the stars for inspiration.

The show began with a spectacular flypast over the stadium as a plane, lit electric blue and trailing golden sparks from its wings, circled overhead, piloted by a war-wounded Afghanistan veteran.

That triggered a countdown to the start of the ceremony which was greeted with huge cheers in the east London venue.

Theoretical physicist Hawking, paralysed and in a wheelchair much of his life due to a rare form of motor neurone disease, kicked off the show by speaking of the quest for understanding the universe.

Ever since the dawn of civilisation, mankind had tried to understand the universe, "why it is as it is and why it exists at all", he said.

A glowing, celestial sphere descended into the middle of a giant central umbrella, igniting the "Big Bang" signifying the creation of the universe. Some 600 performers with umbrellas that lit up radiated out from the centre.

A sharp blast of fireworks from the stadium roof exploded, and the scene then transformed into contemporary London, with the shooting stars turning into raindrops.

To the sound of rain pouring down, thunder and flashes of lightning, and then Rihanna's hit "Umbrella", balloons slowly fell like giant raindrops into the stadium, and disintegrated into puffs of smoke.

Mercifully, the real rain held off, despite the Olympic Park in east London getting a thorough soaking earlier in the day.

Queen Elizabeth II was to officially declare the Games open, following the parade of athletes from 165 competing nations and before the show culminates with the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron.

The British sovereign, 86, was without her 91-year-old husband Prince Philip, who is recuperating in Scotland after a recurrence of a bladder infection.

The monarch was joined by her grandson Prince William and his wife Catherine, her daughter Princess Anne, youngest son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, plus other royals and political figures such as British Prime Minister David Cameron.

William's younger brother Prince Harry, who represented his grandmother at the Olympics closing ceremony, was not among the royal party, following his infamous naked antics at a party in his Las Vegas hotel suite.

The ceremony's artistic directors Bradley Hemmings and Jenny Sealey said their show paid tribute to German-born neurologist Ludwig Guttmann, considered the father of the Paralympics.

The Jewish refugee pioneered the use of sport at a British hospital as therapy for soldiers injured in World War II.

"Guttmann's science and humanity ignited the global Paralympic movement, and in this same spirit we wanted to create a ceremony celebrating the transformational possibilities of ideas, science and human endeavour," they said.

"We hope that you will join with us in celebrating the empowering possibilities of ideas, science and creativity, through which we can realise our full potential: who we are and who we aspire to be."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/umbrellas-ready-starry-paralympics-ceremony-204023221--oly.html

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Source: http://traders101.com/2012/08/29/low-priced-share-trading-suggestions/

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