1.
Japanese sword mountings
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Japanese sword mountings are the various housings and associated fittings that hold the blade of a Japanese sword when it is being worn or stored. Fuchi, The fuchi is a hilt collar between the tsuka and the tsuba. Habaki, The habaki is a shaped metal collar used to keep the sword from falling out of the saya and to support the fittings below. Kaeshizuno - a hook shaped fitting used to lock the saya to the obi while drawing, kashira, The kashira is a butt cap on the end of the tsuka. Kōgai, The kōgai is a spike for hair arranging carried sometimes as part of Katana-Koshirae in another pocket, koiguchi, The koiguchi is the mouth of the saya or its fitting, traditionally made of buffalo horn. Kojiri, The kojiri is the end of the saya or the protective fitting at the end of the saya, kozuka, The kozuka is a decorative handle fitting for the kogatana, a small utility knife fit into a pocket on the saya. Kuri-kata, The kuri-kata is a knob on the side of the saya for attaching the sageo, mekugi, The mekugi is a small peg for securing the tsuka to the nakago. Menuki, The menuki are ornaments on the tsuka, to fit into the palm for grip, mekugi-ana, The mekugi-ana are the holes in the tsuka and nakago for the mekugi. Sageo, The sageo is the used to tie saya to the belt/obi when worn. Same-hada - literally the pattern of the ray skin, same-kawa, same-kawa is the ray or shark skin wrapping of the tsuka. Saya, The saya is a wooden scabbard for the blade, seppa, The seppa are washers above and below the tsuba to tighten the fittings. Shitodome - an accent on the kurikata for aesthetic purposes, often done in metal in modern reproductions. Tsuba, The tsuba is a hand guard, tsuka, The tsuka is the hilt or handle, made of wood and wrapped in samegawa. Tsuka-maki - the art of wrapping the tsuka, including the most common hineri maki, Tsuka-ito, Tsuka-ito the wrap of the tsuka, traditionally silk but today most often in cotton and sometimes leather. Wari-bashi - metal chop-sticks fit in a pocket on the saya and they were externally featureless save for the needed mekugi-ana to secure the nakago, though sometimes sayagaki was also present. The need for specialized storage is because prolonged koshirae mounting harmed the blade, owing to such as the lacquered wood retaining moisture. Such mountings are not intended for combat, as the lack of a tsuba and proper handle wrappings were deleterious. However, there have been loosely similar hidden mountings, such as the shikomizue, the word koshirae is derived from the verb koshiraeru, which is no longer used in current speech
2.
Walters Art Museum
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The Walters Art Museum, located in Mount Vernon-Belvedere, Baltimore, Maryland, is a public art museum founded and opened in 1934. It holds collections established during the mid-19th Century, located across the back alley, a block south of the Walters mansion on West Monument Street/Mount Vernon Place, on the northwest corner of North Charles Street at West Centre Street. The following year, The Walters reopened its original building after a dramatic three-year physical renovation and replacement of internal utilities. The Archimedes Palimpsest was on loan to the Walters Art Museum from a collector for conservation. This was one of the largest and most comprehensive such releases made by any museum, the Walters collection of ancient art includes examples from Egypt, Nubia, Greece, Rome, Etruria and the Near East. In 1911, Henry Walters purchased almost 100 gold artifacts from the Chiriqui region of western Panama in Central America, the museum owns the oldest surviving Chinese wood-and-lacquer image of the Buddha. It is exhibited in a gallery dedicated solely to this work, the Museum holds one of the largest and finest collections of Thai bronze, scrolls, and banner paintings in the world. Islamic art in all media is represented at the Walters, the Walters Museum owns an array of Islamic manuscripts. Walters Art Museum, MS W.613 contains five Mughal miniatures from a very important Khamsa of Nizami made for the Emperor Akbar, Henry Walters assembled a collection of art produced during the Middle Ages in all the major artistic media of the period. This forms the basis of the Walters medieval collection, for which the Museum is best known internationally. Considered one of the best collections of art in the United States, the Museums holdings include examples of metalwork, sculpture, stained glass, textiles, icons. Sculpted heads from the royal Abbey of St. Denis are rare surviving examples of sculptures that are directly connected with the origins of Gothic art in 12th Century France. An ivory casket covered with scenes of jousting knights is one of about a dozen such objects to survive in the world, many of these works are on display in the Museums galleries. Works in the collection are the subject of active research by the curatorial and conservation departments of the museum. The collection of European Renaissance and Baroque art features holdings of paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, metal work, arms, the museum has one of ten surviving examples of the Sèvres pot-pourri vase in the shape of a ship from the 1750s and 1760s. William and Henry Walters collected works by late 19th Century French academic masters, Henry Walters was particularly interested in the courtly arts of 18th Century France. The museum’s collection of Sèvres porcelain includes a number of pieces that were made for members of the Royal Bourbon Court at Versailles Palace outside of Paris. Portrait miniatures and the examples of works, especially snuffboxes and watches, are displayed in the Treasury, along with some exceptional 19th-
3.
Japan
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Japan is a sovereign island nation in Eastern Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea, the kanji that make up Japans name mean sun origin. 日 can be read as ni and means sun while 本 can be read as hon, or pon, Japan is often referred to by the famous epithet Land of the Rising Sun in reference to its Japanese name. Japan is an archipelago consisting of about 6,852 islands. The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, the country is divided into 47 prefectures in eight regions. Hokkaido being the northernmost prefecture and Okinawa being the southernmost one, the population of 127 million is the worlds tenth largest. Japanese people make up 98. 5% of Japans total population, approximately 9.1 million people live in the city of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Archaeological research indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period, the first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainly China, followed by periods of isolation, from the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military shoguns who ruled in the name of the Emperor. Japan entered into a period of isolation in the early 17th century. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan is a member of the UN, the OECD, the G7, the G8, the country has the worlds third-largest economy by nominal GDP and the worlds fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the worlds fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer, although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military with the worlds eighth-largest military budget, used for self-defense and peacekeeping roles. Japan is a country with a very high standard of living. Its population enjoys the highest life expectancy and the third lowest infant mortality rate in the world, in ancient China, Japan was called Wo 倭. It was mentioned in the third century Chinese historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms in the section for the Wei kingdom, Wa became disliked because it has the connotation of the character 矮, meaning dwarf. The 倭 kanji has been replaced with the homophone Wa, meaning harmony, the Japanese word for Japan is 日本, which is pronounced Nippon or Nihon and literally means the origin of the sun. The earliest record of the name Nihon appears in the Chinese historical records of the Tang dynasty, at the start of the seventh century, a delegation from Japan introduced their country as Nihon
4.
Japanese sword
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A Japanese sword is one of several types of traditionally made swords from Japan. Some of the commonly known types of Japanese swords are the katana, wakizashi. The type classifications for Japanese swords indicate the combination of a blade and its mounts as this, then, an unsigned and shortened blade that was once made and intended for use as a tachi may be alternately mounted in tachi koshirae and katana koshirae. It is properly distinguished, then, by the style of mount it currently inhabits, the following are types of Japanese swords, Chokutō, A straight single edged sword that was produced prior to the 10th century, and without differential hardening or folding. Tsurugi/Ken, A straight two edged sword that was produced prior to the 10th century, and may be without differential hardening or folding. Tachi, A sword that is longer and more curved than the later katana, with curvature centered from the middle or towards the tang. Tachi were worn suspended, with the edge downward, the tachi was in vogue before the 15th century. Kodachi, A shorter version of the tachi, but with similar mounts and intended use, Ōdachi /Nodachi, Very large tachi, some in excess of 100 cm, and usually a blade of the late 14th century. Uchigatana, A development from the tachi in the 15th century, worn with the edge upwards in the obi. Katate-uchi, A short type of uchigatana developed in the 16th century, with short tang, one of the forerunners of the wakizashi. Katana, A general term for the sword with a curved blade longer than 60 cm. Developed from the uchigatana and the sword of the class of the Edo period. Wakizashi, A general term for a sword between one and two long, predominantly made after 1600. The name refers to the style of mount as well as a type which means that a naginata blade could be mounted in a nagamaki mount. Naginata, A polearm with a curved single-edged blade, naginata mounts consist of a long wooden pole, different from a nagamaki mount, which is shorter and wrapped. Yari, A spear, or spear-like polearm, the main blade is symmetric and straight unlike a naginata, and usually smaller but can be as large or bigger than some naginata blades. Usually one-edged, but some were double-edged, though asymmetrical, ken, Usually a tanto or wakizashi length religious or ceremonial blade, with a gentle leaf shape and point, but some may be larger and can also refer to old pre-curve types of swords as above. Arrowheads for war, yajiri, were made using the same methods as Japanese swords were
5.
Akita Prefecture
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Akita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita, the area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu. Akita was a region of hunter-gatherers and principally nomadic tribes, the first historical record of what is now Akita Prefecture dates to 658, when the Abe no Hirafu conquered the native Ezo tribes at what are now the cities of Akita and Noshiro. Hirafu, then governor of Koshi Province, established a fort on the Mogami River, in 733, a new military settlement—later renamed Akita Castle—was built in modern-day Akita city at Takashimizu, and more permanent roads and structures were developed. The region was used as a base of operations for the Japanese empire as it drove the native Ezo people from northern Honshū. During the Tokugawa shogunate it was appropriated to the Satake clan, throughout this period, it was classified as part of Dewa Province. In 1871, during the Meiji Restoration, Dewa Province was reshaped, the famous Heian period waka poet, Ono no Komachi, is said to have been born in Yuzawa City, Ogachi Town, located in the southeast of the prefecture. Akita Prefecture is rectangular in shape, roughly 181 km from north to south and 111 km from west to east, the Ōu Mountains mark the eastern border of the prefecture, and the higher Dewa Mountains run parallel through the center of the prefecture. Like much of northern Japan, the prefecture has cold winters, the Oga Peninsula is a prominent feature of the coastline. This has led many people to migrate to Tokyo and other large cities. Akita Prefecture is where declines in population are most severe in Japan and it also has the lowest number of children as a percentage of the population, at 11. 2%. As of 2010, it has a population of just over 1 million people, Akita is famous for rice farming and its sake breweries. It is well known for having the highest consumption of sake in Japan, the women of the region, referred to as Akita bijin, have also gained widespread renown for their white skin, rounded faces and high voices, all of which are considered highly desirable. Ono no Komachi is an example of an Akita bijin. Kiritanpo Nabe Gakko Rice – Akita komachi Sake Near Lake Tazawa and these are popular with tourists from all over Japan. In addition, its numerous seasonal festivals offer a glimpse of rural or traditional Japan, some famous examples are the Akita Kantō, the Omagari Fireworks, Namahage Festival, and the Yokote Kamakura Festivals. Kakunodate is a charming old town, known as the little Kyoto. The Aoyagi house is the residence of Odano Naotake, the man who illustrated Japans first modern guide to the human anatomy
6.
Lacquerware
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Lacquerware are objects decoratively covered with lacquer, the treated, dyed and dried sap of Toxicodendron vernicifluum or related trees, applied in several coats to a base that is usually wood. This dries to a hard and smooth surface layer which is durable, waterproof. Lacquer is sometimes painted with pictures, inlaid with shell and other materials, or carved, as well as dusted with gold and given other further decorative treatments. Lacquerware includes small or large containers, tableware, a variety of objects carried by people. Most East Asian countries have traditions of lacquer work, going back several thousand years in the cases of China. True lacquer is not made outside Asia, but some imitations, such as Japanning in Europe, or parallel techniques, various prehistoric lacquerwares have been unearthed in China dating back to the Neolithic period and objects with lacquer coating found in Japan dating to the late Jōmon period. The earliest known object, a red wooden bowl, was unearthed at a Hemudu culture site in Zhejiang. During the Shang dynasty of China, sophisticated lacquer process techniques developed became an artistic craft. During the Eastern Zhou period, lacquerware began appearing in large quantity and this is the earliest era from which notable quantities of lacquerware have survived. By the Han dynasty, special administrations were established to organize, elaborate incised decorations were used in lacquerware during the Han dynasty. In the Tang dynasty, Chinese lacquerware saw a new style marked by the use of sheets of gold or silver made in shapes, such as birds, animals. This was done by a known as pingtuo. Such techniques were time-consuming and costly, but these lacquerware were considered highly refined and it was also the period when the earliest practice of carving lacquerware began. The art of gold, silver, and mother-of-pearl continued from the Tang into the Song dynasty. Several existing decorative techniques gradually developed further after the 10th century, such as qiangjin, diaotian or tianqi, especially the art of inlaying lacquer with mother-of-pearl was intensively developed during the Song dynasty. However, during the Song, the craft also made use of inlaid gold in a process of which is to engrave intricate patterns in the lacquer surface. The knowledge of the Chinese methods of the process spread from China during the Han, Tang and Song dynasties, eventually it was introduced to Korea, Japan, Southeast. One of the earliest Japanese techniques for decorating the lacquer surface was, besides painting simple designs and this technique was transmitted from China during the Tang dynasty
7.
Shibuichi
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Shibuichi is an alloy which can be patinated into a range of subtle muted shades of blue or green, through the use of rokushō treatments. Its name means one-fourth in Japanese and indicates the standard formulation of one part silver to three copper, though this may be varied according to the desired effect. A 5% silver / 95% copper alloy is also marketed as shibuichi, a wide range of colours can be achieved using the whole range of alloy compositions, even above 50% silver. 90% Copper and 10% Silver for a grey and down to 70% Copper. For most of its history, shibuichi was mostly used to ornament various fittings for katana until the Meiji reforms, the material is often used in mokume-gane combinations. Kuro-Shibuichi Kuro is black in Japanese, kuro-Shibuichi is different from others in the table. Kuro-Shibuichi is mixture of Shibuichi and Shakudō with additional 1% of Gold, roughly proportion of Silver 9. 9％, Copper 87. 3％, Gold 2. 8％. Kuro-Shibuich will develop black patina which is different from the black patina of Shakudo, mokume-gane Shakudō Kuromido Katana Japanning Panchaloha Hepatizon Corinthian bronze Orichalcum Electrum Tumbaga Niello Reactive Metal Studio Inc. -- Shakudo & Shibuichi Data Sheet
8.
Diffusion
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Diffusion is the net movement of molecules or atoms from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration. This is also referred to as the movement of a substance down a concentration gradient, a gradient is the change in the value of a quantity with the change in another variable. The word diffusion derives from the Latin word, diffundere, which means to spread out, a distinguishing feature of diffusion is that it results in mixing or mass transport, without requiring bulk motion. Thus, diffusion should not be confused with convection, or advection, an example of a situation in which bulk flow and diffusion can be differentiated is the mechanism by which oxygen enters the body during external respiration. The lungs are located in the cavity, which expands as the first step in external respiration. This expansion leads to an increase in volume of the alveoli in the lungs and this creates a pressure gradient between the air outside the body and the alveoli. The air moves down the gradient through the airways of the lungs and into the alveoli until the pressure of the air. The air arriving in the alveoli has a concentration of oxygen than the “stale” air in the alveoli. The increase in oxygen concentration creates a concentration gradient for oxygen between the air in the alveoli and the blood in the capillaries that surround the alveoli, oxygen then moves by diffusion, down the concentration gradient, into the blood. The other consequence of the air arriving in alveoli is that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the alveoli decreases and this creates a concentration gradient for carbon dioxide to diffuse from the blood into the alveoli. The pumping action of the heart then transports the blood around the body, as the left ventricle of the heart contracts, the volume decreases, which increases the pressure in the ventricle. This creates a gradient between the heart and the capillaries, and blood moves through blood vessels by bulk flow. The concept of diffusion is widely used in, physics, chemistry, biology, sociology, economics, however, in each case, the object that is undergoing diffusion is “spreading out” from a point or location at which there is a higher concentration of that object. In the phenomenological approach, diffusion is the movement of a substance from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration without bulk motion, according to Ficks laws, the diffusion flux is proportional to the negative gradient of concentrations. It goes from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower concentration, some time later, various generalizations of Ficks laws were developed in the frame of thermodynamics and non-equilibrium thermodynamics. From the atomistic point of view, diffusion is considered as a result of the walk of the diffusing particles. In molecular diffusion, the molecules are self-propelled by thermal energy. Random walk of small particles in suspension in a fluid was discovered in 1827 by Robert Brown, the theory of the Brownian motion and the atomistic backgrounds of diffusion were developed by Albert Einstein
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