In a hallway in the New Orleans Museum of Art I saw a pile of wooden crates. Obviously a new exhibit on its way in – the plywood was stenciled with a set of transportation-related symbols.

OK, there’s the “this end up” symbol – the “do not let this get wet” symbol – a “Fragile” symbol – but what’s up with the stencil of the guy? Does it mean, “May contain Winston Churchill”? Does it mean, “Dangerous Bags Under Eyes”? “Please notify the butler”? “The old man may be constipated”?

OK, I’m not stupid, I can figure out that the stencil probably means that the crate contains art. Still, who picked that symbol? Why is it important that everybody knows it contains art? Who is that guy anyway?

The museum has some great art – but I sort of enjoyed the hieroglyphics on the packing crates as much as anything.

If I had to guess, I’d think that the crates had at least part of an exhibit called “Lifelike” in them.