Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Bits and Pieces from the Forbidden Palace

This one's for you, Grammy and Grandma!

Incredible detail from an 18th century clock. When the clock strikes the hour, this man writes 8 Chinese characters on a small piece paper with a (real) tiny brush and ink!

16th century water clock.

Detailing from a model showing the earth, the moon, and the sun.



Handle on a large copper vat for water storage in case of fire.



Crazy water spout.


Military uniforms from the 15th century.


Detailing from the emperor's walkway.

2 comments:

Ave said...

You know, when I see all of that beauty and intricte carving, I can't help but think about all of the slave labor it took to accomplish it. Do you ever think those thought when seeing the magnificance that you see all over the world?

Mama Ava said...

Ave, I do think about that. The things that we admire are often the result of a terrible price that was paid by slavery and war. I thought of that a lot in Egypt, because the pharoahs spent their entire lives preparing for their deaths.

There are some things, too, where I marvel at the patience and genius it took to design and create.

And of course, some of the most magnificent things I've seen--the Rocky Mountains, the ocean, the Serengeti, are spectacular and breathtaking because they are not made by human hands...