Bunker.jordan

Shark with Napoleon hat

Meet a medieval shark with a hat on. However, there is much more to this funny 13th-century decoration. Medieval decorators often got it wrong when they drew exotic animals like this. Elephants, for example, looked like pigs with big ears. We can’t blame the artists, as they had never seen these animals, which lived far away - and they had no internet or means to travel that far. This is why the image of the shark is so special: it is realistic. It shows its gills, the row of pointy teeth that stick out, and the typical round opening near the tip of the nose. In sum, this decorator had likely seen a shark in real life. For the book historian this is interesting as it may help localize where the book was made. Given that it was produced in France, we may potentially place its production near the ocean, or perhaps even in the south of the country, near the Mediterranean. All that from a bunch of pointy teeth - and some healthy guess work.

Pic: Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, MS 98.

World’s oldest animation

You are looking at a GIF of a phenakistiscope, a 19th-century revolving paper disk imprinted with a series of drawings, which was spun so as to produce a moving image. The device was invented around 1840 by Joseph Plateau and it is the world’s oldest animation. The disk above is one of the oldest to survive and it shows the remarkable resemblance to our modern GIF: they both create motion where there is none. It is simply mesmerizing.

Gif: this is the source of the 21st-century gif (of a 19th-century phenakistiscope). Here is another one, which I posted some time ago.

Note: as one follower noted, there are older animation-like devices. Greek vases from Antiquity hold sequential images; when spun, they show a running person. Read more about this “precursor to animation” here. The vase would make for a great GIF, if the museum lets you!

Selfie of drunk medieval decorator

This is an unusual image, in more than one sense of the word: it is a rare example of a selfie made by a person who decorated medieval books; and he is drinking on the job. Check out other selfies from medieval times - and the story behind them - in my new blog post: Medieval Selfies.

Pic: Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Cod. mus. I 2 65 (dated 1512).

LotR + Blades

[ NEWS ] Scholars confirm first discovery of Japanese sword from master bladesmith Masamune in 150 years

• by Casey Baseel

Should you visit a history museum in Japan, and, like I do, make an immediate beeline for the collections of samurai armor and weaponry, you might be surprised to notice that Japanese swords are customarily displayed with the stitching removed from the hilt. Visually, it sort of dampens the impact, since the remaining skinny slab of metal is a lot less evocative of it actually being gripped and wielded by one of Japan’s warriors of ages past.

The reason this is done, though, is because many Japanese swordsmiths would “sign” their works by etching their names into the metal of the hilt. Some craftsmen achieved almost legendary status, becoming folk heroes whose names are widely known even today.

The most respected of all, though, was Masamune, whose reluctance to sign his blades has made identifying them difficult. But difficult and impossible are two different things, and for the first time in over a century, a sword has been confirmed by historians as being the creation of the master himself.

Masamune was active during the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the part of Japan that today is part of Kanagawa Prefecture. He lived his life during the Kamakura Period, when the samurai class saw the most dramatic rise in its power over Japan.

Producing the highest-quality blades during a time of military power made Masamune’s swords extremely prized. Today, the only swordsmith who can approach his exalted historical status is Muramasa, who was born hundreds of years later. Justified or not, Muramasa is said to have been psychologically imbalanced and prone to violence. Superstition holds that these traits were passed on to the swords he forged, and as such Masamune’s are often held to be the superior weapons.

However, it can be hard to keep track of weapons in a country that’s gone through as many civil wars, revolutions, and occupations as Japan has, no matter how impressive their pedigree. Last year, a man brought a sword, which had found its way into his personal property, to the Kyoto National Museum to be appraised. Historian and sword scholar Taeko Watanabe spent the months between then and now studying the blade, and has recently announce her conclusion that it is a Masamune.

"Judging from its unique characteristics such as the pattern that can be seen in the side of the blade… it was unmistakably forged by Masamune."

The particular sword, which Watanabe says is called the Shimazu Masamune, had been given in 1862 by Iemochi, the 14th Tokugawa shogun, to the Imperial Family to mark his marriage to Princess Kazunomiya, also known as Princess Kazu.

"By presenting such a masterwork to the Imperial Family, Iemochi showed the deepest appreciation and highest respect," Watanabe commented.

Following this, the sword’s whereabouts were unknown until its anonymous owner brought it to the museum in Kyoto. It is the first blade to be confirmed as a Masamune in roughly 150 years.

Source: Copyright © 2014 Rocket News 24

Bronze Dagger

• Dated: 19th century
• Medium: bronze
• Measurements: overall length 23 cm

The handle of the dagger is ornate with a skeleton around which a snake is coiled.

Source: Copyright © 2014 Expertissim

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