Underground Salt Cathedral and Carvings
 

This does not have a direct Tolkien reference but it strikes me that this typifies what must have been his sense of work and beauty.

There is a very large salt mine in the Polish town of Wieliczka that was founded in the 13th century and still operated as a working salt mine until 2007. It now produces salt from brine but is mainly a tourist site, in fact a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Salt once was a crucially important commodity, as witnessed by the salt houses in cities of the old Hanseatic League. Yet the miners not only produced the commercial product, they also devoted their labour to producing beauty. They carved incredible images of historic, mythic, and religious figures and included chapels with altars for religious devotion.

Here's a link to the site for more info: Wieliczka Salt Mine

I have some pictures of a green dragon and other carvings which I think resonate with Tolkien's vision of art, but I have to figure out how to post them here.

A dragon carved from green salt. No date for this, so I don't know if it is modern or earlier.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64...saltdragon.jpg

Dwarves, based I think on Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64...altdwarves.jpg

One last one showing some of the older carvings in the cathedral, with the altar. And, yes, the chandeliers are made of salt.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64...tcathedral.jpg

Wow! Great link, Bethberry! Thanks!

Some of those pictures look like Menegroth.

Some more pictures that aren't on the website I linked to.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64...laquec1368.jpg


http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64...zkacarving.jpg


This one is a religious theme, with Jesus showing his wounds to Doubting Thomas.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64...tingThomas.jpg

I thought exactly the same when I saw these!

Amazing pictures, Bethberry - amazing discovery. Now I have one good destination for visit.

Also the other set of pictures you posted - the reliefs - look very Dwarvish (the king is obviously a bust of either Dáin and/or Théoden).

P.S. The setting with the Dwarves could also be Aglarond (possibly after being "upgraded" by them). And the dragon in the first pic really looks quite Tolkien-esque in some way - maybe it's Chrysophylax? Although it has slightly more "evil" expression.

I thought exactly the same when I saw them! :D

I could see the dragon as Smaug... or maybe a decoration for the Green Dragon :p

The salt chandeliers are definitely from Moria. That's how they kept it alight!

I'm glad you both like the pictures, Gal55 and Legate. They are such a testament to the human desire for beauty.

Legate, if you ever do visit the site, please give us a report. It would be really interesting to hear what it means to experience the mine.

Yes, the chandeliers I probably like the most of all. They are definitely something a Dwarf-hold (whichever of them) is equipped with. And the dragon really could be a decoration for the inn.

Of course I would! And, I mean, it isn't that far for me, so if I sometime want to make an interesting trip...

These pictures brought back a lot of memories, for I visited this mine back in the early 90s. It was a most strange and beautiful place: I remember a lovely tableau - all out of salt - of the marriage of a Hungarian princess to a Polish king.
And yes, when I walked through the tunnels of rock which opened up into great, brightly-lit halls, I remember thinking "Moria."