If you’re Richard Nixon, you give him a figurine of a robin, with a daffodil and a snail. For reals. (Photo by C-M.)
The Vatican Museums may be filled with a mind-boggling number of artistic treasures: a chapel painted by Michelangelo, entire rooms done up by Raphael, and the super dramatic marble sculpture of Laocoön and his sons being gobbled up by sea serpents, among other plunder and loot. But I gotta confess that my favorite piece in the whole joint was the figurine, above, 
that Richard Nixon presented to Pope Paul VI on the occasion of his visit to the Vatican in March of 1969. I have no doubt that the head of the global religious order that has amassed a citadel’s worth of Poussins, Giottos and Titians was, like, totally excited to get his hands on something that looked as if it was inspired by the Franklin Mint. The best part? You can feast your eyes on this little beauty just minutes after emerging from the Sistine Chapel.
I’m in mad catch-up mode today. The Digest will be resurrected tomorrow.