Indiana Jones and the Millennium Clock Tower

I took another wee walk up to the Museum of Scotland. Today's blip is a shot looking down at one of the kinetic sculpture denizens from The Nave of The Millennium Clock Tower looking down on another. There is so much to see in this piece. I'm certain it will feature in my journal again.

Edit: Coming back to it, I don't know why I didn't see this before, but I've been humming this ever since. I changed the title accordingly!

I'll be back to catch up in a wee while. Hope everyone's having a great weekend. Excerpts from the Millennium Clock Tower and National Museums of Scotland websites below if you want to read more about the clock.

The Millennium Clock Tower is a construction in wood, metal and, glass. A timepiece which contains fragments of the story of the millennium, with its disasters, tragedies, but also its human, scientific and artistic achievements. A creation that talks of love, hate, work, play, humour, despair, life and death.

The finished clock tower echoes the form of a medieval cathedral, standing just over ten metres high. It marks the passing of time but is also a summary of the best and worst of the twentieth century. The intricately animated construction comprises four sections: The Crypt, The Nave, The Belfry and The Spire. Each has its own stories to tell and secrets to reveal.
Unlocking the secrets of the clock

The Crypt at the base of the tower houses a bewildering combination of wheels and chains. Two figures are at the heart of this section: an oak figure of an Ancient Spirit and the colourful, mischievous Egyptian Monkey, now a favourite with children.

The Nave holds a pendulum with a skeletal death figure straddling a convex mirror. Distorted figures of Lenin, Hitler and Stalin act as a reminder of the worst aspects of the twentieth century. But there is celebration of better times, too, with a playground of animated characters, including a Chaplin-like figure.

Higher still is The Belfry, which accommodates the clock and the Requiem, a circle of twelve figures. Each represents a calendar month, as well as a hardship or tragedy that has afflicted humanity, from war to famine, slavery to persecution. The clock face is the most contemporary part of the tower with its brightly-coloured glass panels. The precision of the clock counteracts the chaos seen elsewhere in the tower.

Right at the top of the clock tower is The Spire, empty apart from its bell. A figure stands at the very top, a female figure carrying a dead man. This is the Pietà, from the Italian for compassion and pity. It acts as a symbol for what has gone before and the strength we need to move forward.