The name derives from a custom initiated by Gerardus Mercator in the 16th century—of using the figure of the Titan Atlas, holding the globe on his shoulders, as a frontispiece for books of maps.
In the 15th century, frescos of figures in the Late Gothic style with decorative vine leaves were painted in various parts of the church.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, prominent figures of Indian spirituality such as Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, Swami Sivananda, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami and in the present time Vijaypal Baghel emphasized the importance of Ahimsa.
A cluster of life-size, 19th-century plaster figures of people from India.
On display are two sandstone statues of sixth-century dignitaries; ceramic figures of civil servants; a large silk-screen portrait of "the Venerable Qi Jiguang," a celebrated 16th-century military strategist; and ceremonial robes of descendants of Confucius (all on loan from the Provincial Museum of Shandong in Jinan).
But if one follows recent publications that promise a renaissance of utopia, the transhumanist 21st century figures of the future are not a disconnected trend running parallel to the classic utopian discourse since Plato and More; in fact, they are its consumers.
However, total housing starts in the city over the past five years are only 20% higher than in the first five years of this century, official figures show, and less than half the pace of construction in the early 1970s.
Holmes, to his credit, never falls into the trap of judging 18th-century figures by 21st-century standards.
By the end of the century, the figures were 65percentand44percentcent, respectively.
Fine antiques in this weekend's auction include an early 19th century mahogany (tattered but comfortable-looking) armchair (lot 11, estimate £500- £800), a trio of late 19th century pine library ladders (lot 9, estimate £500-800) and a pair of 19th century alabaster figures (lot 58, £300-£500).
