Perhaps some of you have heard of the new piece of art in Millenium Park in Chicago: a 66-foot long, 33-foot high, 125-ton, hollow, stainless steel kidney-bean-shaped, sculpture by Anish Kapoor, named "Cloud Gate"...though, in Chicago vernacular the new artform is known as "the Bean!"

In an article about the Bean, they talked about polishing its "omphalos," which they defined as "the interior vortex underneath Cloud Gate." I realize that "omphalos" means "navel," and that may be why they call it that. However, the other definitions of "omphalos," according to the OED, are the "centre" or a "sacred stone" or a "boss on a shield" or a "raised prominence in the base of a cup."

Perhaps I am being persnickety, but I don't see that "omphalos" means the "interior vortex underneath" the Bean. After all, that isn't the center of the Bean, and surely the Bean doesn't have a navel!

What do you think? Am I being too literal?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

Maybe they were just looking for a high-falootin' sounding word to describe it? "Anus" sounds a bit tacky, after all.