discoverynews: Two-Thirds Marine Species Remain Unknown: Between 700,000 and one million species live in the world’s oceans, according to a thorough new analysis, which also estimated that between one-third and two-thirds of those species have yet to be named and described. Read more…
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discoverynews:

Two-Thirds Marine Species Remain Unknown: Between 700,000 and one million species live in the world’s oceans, according to a thorough new analysis, which also estimated that between one-third and two-thirds of those species have yet to be named and described. Read more…

(via mad-as-a-marine-biologist)

Source: discoverynews

Lapham's Quarterly: “I admit that I treed a rheumatic grandfather of mine in the winter of...

laphamsquarterly:

“I admit that I treed a rheumatic grandfather of mine in the winter of 1850. He was old and inexpert in climbing trees, but with the heartless brutality that is characteristic of me, I ran him out of the front door in his nightshirt at the point of a shotgun and caused him to bowl up a maple…

art-of-swords: The Penknife Image: Italian, end 16th century or early 17th century penknife A penknife, or pen knife, is a small folding pocket knife, originally used for cutting or sharpening a quill to make a pen nib. Originally, penknives did not necessarily have folding blades, but resembled a scalpel or wood knife by having a short, fixed blade at the end of a long handle. These knives were used for thinning and pointing quills to prepare them for use as writing instruments and, later, for repairing or re-pointing the quills. They may also be used to whittle wood. Modern penknives may have single or multiple blades and additional tools incorporated into the design. Over the last hundred years, there has been a proliferation of multi-function knives with multifarious and often ingenious gadgets including awls, reamers, scissors, nail files, corkscrews, tweezers, toothpicks, and so on, and the tradition continues with the incorporation of modern devices such as ballpoint pens, LED flashlights, and USB flash drives. The most famous example of a multi-function knife is the Swiss Army knife, some versions of which number dozens of functions and are really more of a folding multi-tool, incorporating a blade or two, than a penknife with extras. A larger folding knife, especially one in which the blade locks into place, is often called a claspknife. Info source: Wikipedia Photo source: Kunsthandel Inez Stodel
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art-of-swords:

The Penknife

  • Image: Italian, end 16th century or early 17th century penknife

A penknife, or pen knife, is a small folding pocket knife, originally used for cutting or sharpening a quill to make a pen nib. Originally, penknives did not necessarily have folding blades, but resembled a scalpel or wood knife by having a short, fixed blade at the end of a long handle.

These knives were used for thinning and pointing quills to prepare them for use as writing instruments and, later, for repairing or re-pointing the quills. They may also be used to whittle wood. Modern penknives may have single or multiple blades and additional tools incorporated into the design.

Over the last hundred years, there has been a proliferation of multi-function knives with multifarious and often ingenious gadgets including awls, reamers, scissors, nail files, corkscrews, tweezers, toothpicks, and so on, and the tradition continues with the incorporation of modern devices such as ballpoint pens, LED flashlights, and USB flash drives.

The most famous example of a multi-function knife is the Swiss Army knife, some versions of which number dozens of functions and are really more of a folding multi-tool, incorporating a blade or two, than a penknife with extras. A larger folding knife, especially one in which the blade locks into place, is often called a claspknife.

Info source: Wikipedia

Photo source: Kunsthandel Inez Stodel

art-of-swords:

Swords in Art

  • Artist: Katsukawa Shunshô
  • Culture: Japanese
  • Dated: 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
  • Creation Place: Japan
  • Medium: Ukiyo-e woodblock print in “hosoban” format; ink and color on paper
  • Paper: H. 29.4 cm x W. 13.9 cm (11 9/16 x 5 1/2 in.)

Source: Copyright © 2009 President and Fellows of Harvard College - Harvard Art Museums

vivelareine: A rotating desk created for Maria Carolina, the queen of Naples and elder sister of Marie Antoinette. Information from the Royal Palace of Naples site: In style … it reflects the neo-classical taste, for its structural elements reproduce the architectonic orders: the small columns supporting the large central wheel are in the Doric style, while the capitals are rigorously classical. On one side of the tabletop a metal handle, also fashioned in the classical style, is attached to an automatic mechanism and used to move a two-vaned ‘mill’ connected to eight lecterns by means of adjustable brass hasps. The cogwheels have been left visible, and when in use the mechanism makes a fascinating spectacle. The eight lecterns, which may be used to support all sorts of reading material, can thus be viewed contemporaneously. The quality of the craftsmanship and materials makes this specimen of 18th century technology an item of great artistic value. Image source: Scheuer.nl
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vivelareine:

A rotating desk created for Maria Carolina, the queen of Naples and elder sister of Marie Antoinette.

Information from the Royal Palace of Naples site:

In style … it reflects the neo-classical taste, for its structural elements reproduce the architectonic orders: the small columns supporting the large central wheel are in the Doric style, while the capitals are rigorously classical. On one side of the tabletop a metal handle, also fashioned in the classical style, is attached to an automatic mechanism and used to move a two-vaned ‘mill’ connected to eight lecterns by means of adjustable brass hasps. The cogwheels have been left visible, and when in use the mechanism makes a fascinating spectacle. The eight lecterns, which may be used to support all sorts of reading material, can thus be viewed contemporaneously. The quality of the craftsmanship and materials makes this specimen of 18th century technology an item of great artistic value.

Image source: Scheuer.nl

(via 18thcenturylove)

Source: vivelareine

a-l-ancien-regime: JAN VAN DER HEYDEN Gorinchem 1637 – 1712 Amsterdam CORNER OF A ROOM WITH RARITIES 1712 oil on canvas The wealthy Dutch middle classes decorated their homes with valuable or interesting objects from all over the world; the picture reflects this passion for collecting. However, this combination of objects also conceals a deeper moral: following the iconography of book still lives and depictions of scholars, it conceives the idea of Vanitas (futility). This is easy to recognise from the Bible in the foreground, open at the Ecclesiastes, where the text speaks about the futility of earthly life and human ambitions. I particularly enjoy the random, flying armadillo in the centre of the painting. #WhatchuDoinUpThereAmadillo? #YouDontGotWings!
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a-l-ancien-regime:

JAN VAN DER HEYDEN

Gorinchem 1637 – 1712 Amsterdam

CORNER OF A ROOM WITH RARITIES

1712

oil on canvas

The wealthy Dutch middle classes decorated their homes with valuable or interesting objects from all over the world; the picture reflects this passion for collecting. However, this combination of objects also conceals a deeper moral: following the iconography of book still lives and depictions of scholars, it conceives the idea of Vanitas (futility). This is easy to recognise from the Bible in the foreground, open at the Ecclesiastes, where the text speaks about the futility of earthly life and human ambitions.

I particularly enjoy the random, flying armadillo in the centre of the painting.

#WhatchuDoinUpThereAmadillo? #YouDontGotWings!

(via 18thcenturylove)

Source: szepmuveszeti.hu

The text of the Sultan’s letter to the Cossacks:

“As the Sultan; son of Muhammad; brother of the Sun and Moon; grandson and viceroy of God; ruler of the kingdoms of Macedonia, Babylon, Jerusalem, Upper and Lower Egypt; emperor of emperors; sovereign of sovereigns; extraordinary knight, never defeated; steadfast guardian of the tomb of Jesus Christ; trustee chosen by God himself; the hope and comfort of Muslims; confounder and great defender of Christians—I command you, the Zaporozhian Cossacks, to submit to me voluntarily and without any resistance, and to desist from troubling me with your attacks.”

—Turkish Sultan Mehmed IV

The reply was a stream of invective and vulgar rhymes, parodying the Sultan’s titles:

“Zaporozhian Cossacks to the Turkish Sultan!

“Thou art a turkish imp, the damned devil’s brother and friend, and a secretary to Lucifer himself. What the devil kind of knight art thou that cannot slay a hedgehog with your naked arse? The devil shits, and your army eats. Thou son of a bitch wilt not ever make subjects of Christian sons; we have no fear of your army, by land and by sea we will battle with thee, fuck thy mother.

“Thou art the Babylonian scullion, Macedonian wheelwright, brewer of Jerusalem, goat-fucker of Alexandria, swineherd of Greater and Lesser Egypt, Armenian pig, Podolian villain, catamite of Tartary, hangman of Kamyanets, and fool of all the world and underworld, a fool before our God, a grandson of the Serpent, and the crick in our dick. Pig’s snout, mare’s arse, slaughterhouse cur, unchristened brow, screw thine own mother!

“So the Zaporozhians declare, you lowlife. Thou wilt not even be herding Christian pigs. Now we shall conclude, for we don’t know the date and don’t have a calendar; the moon’s in the sky, the year in the book, the day’s the same over here as it is over there; for this kiss our arse!”

Koshovyi Otaman Ivan Sirko, with the whole Zaporozhian Host.

The Zaporozhian Cossacks in response to the Ottoman Sultan circa 1676. (via triiku)

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