A Chinese vase that had a crack in it has sold for over £55,000
A Chinese vase that was dismissed as "worthless" because it had a crack in it has sold for over £55,000.The blue and white antique was spotted by auctioneer Charles Hanson during a visit to the owner's home after he was called there to value other objects.It was sitting on top of a cabinet - but the 89-year-old woman did not even bother to ask about it because she was convinced it had no value.
Tightrope walking traditions in China and Armenia (photo)
Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Tightrope performers used to wear the traditional costumes of the country and ethnic group they belonged to,. Folk music and dances were also a significant part of their performances. Some of them used wheelbarrows with passengers, ladders, and animals in their act. The technique to maintain balance is to keep the performer's centre of mass above their support point—usually their feet. The images below refer to the Armenian and Chinese
One of the oldest musical instruments in China
The xun is a globular, vessel flute from China. It is one of the oldest musical instruments in China and has been in use for approximately seven thousand years. The xun was initially made of baked clay or bone, and later of clay or ceramic. This 19th century egg-shaped xun produces about one octave of notes when played. It's still used today in Confucian rituals in Taiwan and by enthusiasts of traditional Chinese music.Photo courtesy: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The largest ancient manuscript book in Armenian
The largest ancient manuscript book - "The Homiliary of Mush" ("Մշո ճառընտիր") in Armenian, is housed at Matenadaran (repository of manuscripts, and a research institute in Yerevan, Armenia). The manuscript, weighing more than 30 kg without binding, was written and illustrated in the years 1200-1202 in the monastery of St. Karapet (Mush) by Vardan Karnetsi. The parchment required the skins of about 600 calves to make its 607 massive pages. During the First World War and the years of the Armenian Genocide, it was rescued by two Armenian refugees from Mush. First, they were carrying this relic on their backs, and then,
Li Yang: Ideas on Chinese mortise-and-tenon joint
The Chinese contemporary designer, artist and art educator Li Yang, has recently represented his interesting work entitled "Ideas on Chinese mortise-and-tenon joint". A mortise and tenon joint connects two pieces of wood or of material. Woodworkers around the world have used it for thousands of years to join pieces of wood, mainly when the adjoining pieces connect at right angles. Mortise and tenon joints are strong and stable.
