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If Objects Could Talk

What is Athena's owl doing in the Greek marketplace? How does a snake bracelet celebrate her favorite holiday? This first season on If Objects Could Talk, the newest series from Getty Podcasts, artifacts leave the museum vault and come alive to share their side of the story.

Podcast · By Getty · English · Official site

Indexed episodes, last 90 days
4
Latest publication
Sep 28, 2026
Audience
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Earliest in this view
Jul 9, 2026

Latest episodes

  1. Episode · Sep 28, 2026

    Resting Bust Face (opens the original)

    Episode notes · Positive tone

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    Why is The Vexed Man making that scrunched up face? Has he tasted a lemon? Smelled a skunk? Nope—that’s just his thinking face! This intensely tense alabaster sculpture of a head is used to people staring and trying to do their own versions of his extreme expression. Take it from him, though, it feels much nicer to relax than to be so stiff all the time. Hear this sculpture’s story of alabaster carving and 18th-century Vienna, followed by a relaxing breathing exercise—because even if you’re not

  2. Episode · Sep 21, 2026

    Purrquoise the Traveling Cat (opens the original)

    Episode notes · Positive tone

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    As soon as he arrived in Los Angeles, Purrquoise, the turquoise cat, was a star. But this charismatic kitty traveled a long way to get here! Made in China in the 1750s, he moved by ship to France, where he padded around with the rich and famous—like Madame de Pompadour, noted companion of King Louis XV—as well as those who served them. After a few centuries there, he traveled across the Atlantic and settled in at the Getty Museum in 2024. Adjusting to a new culture takes time, an open mind, and

  3. Episode · Sep 14, 2026

    The Magnificent Microscope and the Fabulous Flea (opens the original)

    Episode notes · Positive tone

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    It’s a knight! It’s a cat! No, it’s a…flea? Picture it: the French countryside, 1751. A young flea prepares for his moment in the spotlight—of a magnificent gold and sharkskin microscope. This compound microscope was the height of scientific knowledge, showcasing both the newest technology and fashionable design. It allowed people—including science lovers like King Louis XV—to discover new worlds in small things. In this first episode of season two, learn about compound microscopes, the Enlighte

  4. Episode · Jul 9, 2026

    Coming Soon: Bastille Day (and Season 2) (opens the original)

    Episode notes · Positive tone

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    Announcing Season 2, this mini-episode features Purrquoise, a bright turquoise porcelain cat that was made in China in the 1700s and has traveled the world ever since. Now that he’s made himself at home in Los Angeles, he’s ready to pitch his script all about the storming of the Bastille and the French Revolution. Of course, if he can’t get that movie made, he’s still excited to announce that If Objects Can Talk returns this fall with ten more stories from adventurous, luxurious—and sometimes ve

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