Dr Kay Sunahara
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kaysunahara.bsky.social
Dr Kay Sunahara
@kaysunahara.bsky.social
2.8K followers 1.3K following 130 posts
She/her | Archaeologist working in a museum | #MuseumWork | Collections Care | It's about context | IAQ FTW 😷| Turtle Island | I also grow plants & make food
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kaysunahara.bsky.social
100% 🥳
September 11, 2025 at 3:00 AM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Anglo-Saxon urn, about 500-600 CE, in the collection @romtoronto.bsky.social A partial label identifies it is from Girton College, Cambridge, UK. This will be on ROM's eMuseum website tomorrow, just look up 920.96.1
🏺 #MuseumWork #archaelogy #AngloSaxon #ceramics
A handmade urn. Gritty dark grey clay with patchy brown-black surface, on a grey background. Flat base; rounded body encircled with 6 small raised rounded bosses w. each panel in between filled w. a line of 3 impressions of a round rosette-stamp w. appr. 13 divisions and below, 6 to 8 vertical slashes; above, around neck, 3 incised lines; bowl curves in at area of bosses but none of the neck survives. Close-up of a label stuck to the side of the urn. The word "Girton" in black ink can be read.
August 14, 2025 at 3:16 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
#FlowerFriday from Exbury Gardens earlier this spring.
June 28, 2025 at 6:57 AM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
After decades of seeing acanthus as decoration on so many Corinthian columns & ancient Roman ceramics, my 1st time seeing it alive! All thanks to the gardeners @romanpalace.bsky.social 🏺 #FlowerFriday
An acanthus plant with lush green serrated leaves and a spikey flower head.
May 30, 2025 at 5:58 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
For #MosaicMonday one of my favourites from my visit to @romanpalace.bsky.social They are all great, but I love the skate park feel of this one. The tesserae preserving the floor surface by moving with the ground, the rectilinear design emphasizing its undulation through space & time! 🏺
Excavation preserved at a Roman palace site, now indoors, windows to the garden in the background. Foreground, a rectangular mosaic floor made of black, white, and red stone, in a rectilinear design.
May 26, 2025 at 9:14 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
An Arkadian League silver obol from the collections @romtoronto.bsky.social dated to 320-236 BCE, Megalopolis, Greece. The A and R overlap & combine to form a lovely monogram on this very tiny coin!

#Numismatics #coins #Greece #Archaeology 🏺 #OldMoney
Reverse side of a silver obol coin, held in a nitrile-gloved hand. Coin measures 12.6 mm. On the coin, a monogram is formed by combining the letters"A" and "R". Below the monogram is a syrinx, a pan flute with six reeds.
April 4, 2025 at 9:11 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Paid, Spring/Summer, Undergrad, Leacross Foundation Internship @romtoronto.bsky.social Ancient Greece & Rome

royalontariomuseum.applytojob.com/apply/CfPNjC...

Please spread the word! There are paid internships in other ROM depts too, worth having a look! 👀
#MuseumWork #Internship #SummerJob
A grey nitrile gloved hand holds a silver tetradrachm coin with the head of Alexander the Great (wearing a lion-skin headdress.) Mint of Amphipolis, Greece.
March 13, 2025 at 2:44 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Hoping that these banana 🍌chocolate chip 🍫 muffins will help me get through the rest of the week. Trying times!
#Baking #muffins #glutenfree
A close up of a grey metal muffin tin, focused on 1 central brown muffin with a pecan half and a couple of visible chocolate chips.
March 11, 2025 at 3:27 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Got the cart all loaded up and ready to roll for @uoft.bsky.social students taking Fine Art History course 405-Understanding Dionysos: The God of Wine, Theatre and the Afterlife! Experiential learning @romtoronto.bsky.social
Grey metal rolling cart carrying ancient Red-figure and Black-figure style vases. On the lower level of the cart boxes of nitrile gloves and flat foam sheets to line tables. The nearest vase is upside-down for stability. Behind are a model cast horse's head (Partheon sculpture reproduction), and a wall of shelves with binders.
March 4, 2025 at 9:04 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Anyone interested in a Japanese Tea Ceremony experience in the Toronto area? Proceeds go to the Momiji Healthcare Society that supports Japanese Canadian seniors. 🍵 🍰
momiji.on.ca/en/participa...

#Toronto #Scarborough #tea #TeaCeremony #fundraising
Ichi-go Ichi-o A Japanese Tea Experience Sunday, February 16th, 2025 at 3555 Kingston Road, Scarborough Event Description Immerse yourself in the delightful world of Japanese tea. Enjoy a classic three-course tea service, where the tea will be accompanied by sandwich, scone, and sweet courses, all with a Japanese twist! Choose between different informative and engaging presentations by Tetsu of Kawagiri Tea, Kintsugi Artist Shuichi, or Tea Sommelier Danielle. How to Participate BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW! Buy a ticket for Group One, Two, or Three—details listed in the chart below. Tickets include both the presentation and the tea service. Tea Service menus are the same for each group. Tickets are $60 each. To buy your tickets, please call 416-261-6683, extension 260 or 259, or visit Catherine and Sheri-Lynn at Momiji. Tickets will be on sale until February 10th, or while quantities last. Group One 10:00am to 10:50am Introduction to Japanese Tea with Tetsu of Kawagiri Tea Tea service 11:00am to 12:00pm Group Two 12:00pm to 12:50pm Introduction to the Art of Kintsugi with Shuichi of Kintsugica Tea service 1:00pm to 2pm Group Three 2:00pm to 2:50pm Hands-on Japanese Tea Preparation with Tea Sommelier Danielle Tea service 3:00pm to 4:00pm APPLY AS A VENDOR! While this is a small event, we welcome any tea vendors or artisans of a Japanese craft to join us. Please review the following forms for more information: Tea Vendor or Artisan Vendor, or email vendors@momiji.on.ca. VOLUNTEER! If you’re interested in volunteering at one of our more relaxed events, Ichi-go Ichi-e is for you! If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please email volunteering@momiji.on.ca. Ichi-go Ichi-o A Japanese Tea Experience Sunday, February 16th, 2025 at 3555 Kingston Road, Scarborough Event Description Immerse yourself in the delightful world of Japanese tea. Enjoy a classic three-course tea service, where the tea will be accompanied by sandwich, scone, and sweet courses, all with a Japanese twist! Choose between different informative and engaging presentations by Tetsu of Kawagiri Tea, Kintsugi Artist Shuichi, or Tea Sommelier Danielle. How to Participate BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW! Buy a ticket for Group One, Two, or Three—details listed in the chart below. Tickets include both the presentation and the tea service. Tea Service menus are the same for each group. Tickets are $60 each. To buy your tickets, please call 416-261-6683, extension 260 or 259, or visit Catherine and Sheri-Lynn at Momiji. Tickets will be on sale until February 10th, or while quantities last. Group One 10:00am to 10:50am Introduction to Japanese Tea with Tetsu of Kawagiri Tea Tea service 11:00am to 12:00pm Group Two 12:00pm to 12:50pm Introduction to the Art of Kintsugi with Shuichi of Kintsugica Tea service 1:00pm to 2pm Group Three 2:00pm to 2:50pm Hands-on Japanese Tea Preparation with Tea Sommelier Danielle Tea service 3:00pm to 4:00pm APPLY AS A VENDOR! While this is a small event, we welcome any tea vendors or artisans of a Japanese craft to join us. Please review the following forms for more information: Tea Vendor or Artisan Vendor, or email vendors@momiji.on.ca. VOLUNTEER! If you’re interested in volunteering at one of our more relaxed events, Ichi-go Ichi-e is for you! If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please email volunteering@momiji.on.ca.
February 1, 2025 at 2:25 AM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Oh my goodness, that is tiny - can you make out the dove? I see some microscope photography in my future, but for now here's a quick snap of a pseudo-Sikyonian obol, 12.3 mm diameter, 4th century BCE.

From the collection @romtoronto.bsky.social

#MuseumWork #GreekCoins #Numismatics 🏺 #Dove 🕊️
On a background of light grey photography paper, a small 12.3 mm silver coin (obol) with a tiny flying dove imprint. To the right of the coin, a mechanical pencil with lead point facing up, for scale. Diagonally across the upper left corner, are the reflectors of a photography light.
January 22, 2025 at 8:33 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Here are a few @romtoronto.bsky.social Byzantine period bowls from Cyprus pulled for potential loan. It must have been fun to make these post-slip incised lead-glazed wares, all the zigzags, leaf, and floral patterns, with splashes of colour!

#MuseumWork #Cyprus #ceramics 🏺
Taken from a diagonal angle a line of 6 ceramic bowls with a slight pedestal feet. The closest one is decorated with zigzag-swiggly lines made by incising through the white slip so that the darker reddish body of the ceramic shows through. Splashes of green and brown paint on top give additional colour. All the bowls have variations on this colour scheme with different floral, or geometric decorative patterns.
January 7, 2025 at 6:41 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Photographing ancient Roman bone hairpins today. This one from the Bank of England site in London, UK, dated to about 200-400 CE. 🏺
#MuseumWork #Hairpin #Roman #archaeology
Nitrile gloved right-hand holding a bone hairpin horizontally so that the accession number can be read: 927.15.59 in faint white ink. Grey paper background, and multicoloured rectangular colour-checker chart in background on the left side.
December 10, 2024 at 7:04 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
All ready to host visiting @molarchaeology.bsky.social researcher examining these Roman ceramic flue tiles @romtoronto.bsky.social today! Ancient #ceramic building materials still looking great.

#TileTuesday 🏺 #archaeology
Ancient Roman flue tile, a roughly rectangular, box-like ceramic construction, with diamond patterned, roller stamped relief decoration, on a table padded with white ethafoam. Background of other tile fragments, yellow lab cabinets.
December 4, 2024 at 1:32 AM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Sorted, husks and seeds.
Close up of empty, dried, marigold flower husks Close up of marigold seeds in a big, haystack-like pile of black and white.
November 30, 2024 at 6:21 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Saturday sorting of dried marigold flowers from the garden. There's no need to buy more seed!

#UrbanGarden #SeedSaving #marigolds
🌱
Brown basket of dried marigold flower heads on a dark brown table. One of the flower heads is opened revealing the black, long, thin, seeds.
November 30, 2024 at 5:01 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Yes, it is! Here is another photo of it from the side with its safety catch out. In good shape despite some corrosion.
November 29, 2024 at 9:28 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
When the old number GB346 stays on the object better than the new number 927.15.132 you're glad the database is searchable for both! It's not bad really but it happens often. Crossbow fibula from Winchester, UK, 300-400 CE in the @romtoronto.bsky.social collection.
#MuseumWork #RomanBritain 🏺
A nitrile gloved right hand holds a fibula (brooch) in the shape of a crossbow, showing the side where the museum accession numbers of two different generations were inscribed. "GB346" is the older number and crisply readable while "927.15.132" the newer accession number, is chipped and not as distinct, especially the 7 and the 5. Fibula is black-brown, numbers are in white ink, background is grey.
November 29, 2024 at 6:15 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Roman flue tile in the collection @romtoronto.bsky.social Preparing for a researcher visit next week. They're heavy being made of a robust, coarse, pebbly earthenware. Love the roller-stamped, concentric diamond pattern! Archaeologists continue to catalog their production & distribution. 🏺
Narrow, rectangular end of an ancient Roman ceramic flue tile, on a grey background, raking light shows off a concentric diamond pattern in the coarse-textured, orange earthenware ceramic. Wide side of the same flue tile showing triangular notch at the bottom and top, and oval opening in the middle. Raking light shows off a vertical wavy pattern in the coarse, orange, earthenware. Grey background.
November 28, 2024 at 5:15 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
NEW exhibit of Safavid tiles from Isfahan, Iran. Ceramics, glassware, musical instruments, even a bow & arrow, from collections @romtoronto.bsky.social make the connections with the leisurely picnicking on the tiles!
An archway of yellow, blue and green tiles on a dark blue background. People on the tiles are picnicking. A rectangular glass display case in front of the archway displays glassware, blue and white ceramics, musical instruments and a bow and arrow, all depicted in the tiles. Visitors are seen enjoying the display.
November 19, 2024 at 6:57 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
It's an odd autumn with the lobelia still blooming when all the ginko leaves have fallen. 🌱

So good to see the archaeology, museum, and heritage community growing here too! 🏺

I needed a break, but now back to user testing the latest collections database upgrade ughhh!

Happy weekend all!
Fallen ginko leaves form the background for a pot of chicks and hens, with the last strands of purple lobelia across the top of the frame.
November 15, 2024 at 7:47 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Who's a good girl? This tiny doggo in a playful pose atop this ancient Roman bronze hairpin certainly is!

Found in the bed of the River Walbrook, Poultry St. London, UK, 13.2 cm, dated 50-160 CE, now in the collection @romtoronto.bsky.social
🏺
#MuseumWork #hairpin #dogs #archaeology
Full length view of an ancient Roman bronze hair pin, 13.6 cm long, topped with a tiny dog. Close-up of an ancient Roman bronze hair pin with tiny dog in play-with-me-pose as a topper.
November 5, 2024 at 4:02 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
It's almost time to prune the asparagus!
🌱
A cascade of feathery yellow asparagus plants with a fallen maple leaf in the middle.
October 27, 2024 at 3:31 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Tidying up the coin room I found these in a plastic shopping bag 😭 unaccessioned & untracked. Some of these replicas are of coins in the @romtoronto.bsky.social collection so time to don the nitrile gloves! Pictures of before & after.

🏺 #MuseumWork #Numismatics #Coins #Electrotypes
Brown cardboard box labelled "Electrotypes & some fakes." To the right a small pile of manila envelopes and browning bits of paper with Greek, Celtic, Republican, and Imperial, as labels. Four eletrotype Roman Republican bronze coin replicas in polyethylene bags arrayed in front of two grey archival boxes containing many more specimens.
July 25, 2024 at 7:06 PM
kaysunahara.bsky.social
Baby Bunbun, our urban garden bunny rabbit. 🌱
July 21, 2024 at 6:25 PM