View allAll Photos Tagged Porous
Large cuttlebone at 35 cm
Coonarr Beach Bundaberg
Australia
Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda, which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of buoyancy.
Cuttlefish possess an internal structure called the cuttlebone, which is porous and is made of aragonite. The pores provide it with buoyancy, which the cuttlefish regulates by changing the gas-to-liquid ratio in the chambered cuttlebone via the ventral siphuncle. Each species' cuttlebone has a distinct shape, size, and pattern of ridges or texture. The cuttlebone is unique to cuttlefish, and is one of the features that distinguish them from their squid relatives.
"The world is incomprehensibly beautiful -- an endless prospect of magic and wonder." --Ansel Adams
As always, a huge thanks to those who stop by to view, fave and or comment! It is truly appreciated...
Mono Lake is one of the Eastern Sierra's most spectacular (and perhaps most bizarre) of California's natural wonders. It's surrounded by the grand beauty of the rugged, granite-peaked Sierra Nevada Mountains, but it's not the spectacular beauty that make Mono Lake unique. Mono lake is one of the oldest lakes in North America and has been dubbed "California's Dead Sea" because it's 2 and 1/2 times as salty as the ocean. Its lack of an outlet contributes to Mono Lake's saltiness as well as its extreme alkalinity. Freshwater streams that feed Mono Lake have washed salts and minerals into the lake for years and years. As fresh water naturally evaporates into the atmosphere, the minerals are left behind, becoming increasingly concentrated over time. One of the most unique features of Mono Lakes is its tufa towers. The towers are spires of porous "rock" that looks like moon rock. They are formed when natural fresh water springs interact with the highly alkaline lake water and give Mono Lake its unique "landscape." (visitmammoth.com)
Somewhere in the Sahara, trying to go somewhere else...
Note the bags hanging in front of the cars. They are goat skins, called Guerba, filled with water. The water seeps through the porous skin and evaporates, thus cooling the water inside. This gives fairly fresh water to drink, with a very peculiar taste.
1990, scanned from slides.
Nashville, take note.
Since the 1960s when they discovered the problem, a foundational problem, the Army Corp of Engineers has tried to reinforce this remote Kentucky dam that was built over porous and erodible limestone rock. It turns out this was the wrong place to build a dam. The karst geology of extremely porous and cracked limestone that surrounds this area has resulted in a constant dissolution of the dam's rock foundation when water is above it. Over the years, the dam has had near failures. So far, no matter how much engineers have tried to fix it by adding safety structures to the dam, uncontrolled water seepage erodes the dam's geological foundation. In its defense, the dam has lasted some 70 years without collapse. The ultimate solution is either to have no dam, which would result in a loss of flood control and hydroelectric power; or, build another dam somewhere else on better ground. But that would be very expensive. Tax payer dollars.
Way down the Cumberland River lies the bustling downtown of Nashville, Tennessee. Music City.
This is a lovely lake though. Scenic. Kentucky boaters love it.
This lightning storm happened just after I had finished teaching a Night Photography class. It was between 3-4 a.m.
>>>TUFA: a porous rock composed of calcium carbonate and formed by precipitation from water, e.g., around mineral springs.
Mono Lake is a majestic body of water covering about 65 square miles. It is an ancient lake, over 1 million years old -- one of the oldest lakes in North America. It has no outlet.
Throughout its long existence, salts and minerals have washed into the lake from Eastern Sierra streams. Freshwater evaporating from the lake each year has left the salts and minerals behind so that the lake is now about 2 1/2 times as salty and 80 times as alkaline as the ocean.
Hraunfossar (western Iceland) is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 metres out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvítá river from ledges of less porous rock in the lava. The name hraun comes from the Icelandic word for lava. The Hraunfossar are situated near Húsafell and Reykholt
Due to the porous limestone, the islets and rock formations are full of small and large caves. Halong Bay, Vietnam is a magical place with iridescent green water and hundreds of rock formations rising steeply from the water. The bay is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and protected biodiversity zone.
This panorama was stitched together from 17 vertical frames shot with my Canon 6D and Sigma 15mm EX DG at 25 sec f/2.8 ISO 3200.
The Trona Pinnacles are an unusual geological feature in the California Desert National Conservation Area. The unusual landscape consists of more than 500 tufa spires (porous rock formed as a deposit when springs interact with other bodies of water), some as high as 140 feet (43 m), rising from the bed of the Searles Lake (dry) basin. The pinnacles vary in size and shape from short and squat to tall and thin, and are composed primarily of calcium carbonate (tufa). They now sit isolated and slowly crumbling away near the south end of the valley, surrounded by many square miles of flat, dried mud and with stark mountain ranges at either side.
The Pinnacles are recognizable in more than a dozen hit movies. Over thirty film projects a year are shot among the tufa pinnacles, including backdrops for car commercials and sci-fi movies and television series such as Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Disney's Dinosaur, The Gate II, Lost in Space, and Planet of the Apes.
Hraunfossar (western Iceland) is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 metres out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvítá river from ledges of less porous rock in the lava. The name hraun comes from the Icelandic word for lava. The Hraunfossar are situated near Húsafell and Reykholt
From the Tell Brak site in northern Syria on display behind glass in the Fitzwilliam museum in Cambridge. Most eye-idols are made from fine Gypsum (Alabaster) which is porous so it changes colour easily. Rare examples in animal bone also exist. Unlike spectacle idols, eye idols do not seem to have been made in clay. Paint to emphasise the eyes is an additional detail. Syria
About 5200 – 5100 ybp
Perhaps we see aspects of the sky rising above a hill - a sky God - with the sun and the moon like eyes and a God with parallels to, for example, Horus.
There is only one moor on the Swabian Alps' porous surface. It's just a small place about five kilometers from where I live. But it's amazing how different this small space is from all the rest of the landscape around.
A grotto pavilion decorated inside with seashells and tufa (porous limestone) was an invariably feature in Western European regular parks of the eighteenth century. The project for the construction of the Grotto on the bank of the Great Pond in the Catherine Park was drawn up by the architect Rastrelli. Most of the work to construct it was carried out in 1755–56 under Empress Elizabeth, but it was completed in the 1760s under Catherine II.
Both the ground plan and the treatment of volumes – with rounded corners, niches for statues and large semicircular exedrae forming projections on the end walls – are typical of Baroque architecture. The rich opulence of the Baroque also characterizes the facades that are decorated with elaborately grouped columns supporting broken pediments. Rising above the central part of the pavilion is a dome with four lucarne windows that used to be topped by pyramidical figured pediments made of wood (the carving, produced by Okhta craftsmen, has survived and is in the stores of the museum-preserve). Masks of Neptune on the keystones of the windows, capitals with dolphins instead of volutes and figures of tritons underline the pavilion’s link to the watery element. But Rastrelli’s plan to decorate the interior of the Grotto with seashells and tufa was not implemented.
In 1771 a new project for the interior decoration of the pavilion was drawn up by the architect Antonio Rinaldi (1709–1794). The lightweight exquisitely drawn décor of the walls that was done to his designs has survived down to the present. In 1792 wrought-iron grilles embellished with ornament made of gilded sheet copper were installed on the windows and doors of the Grotto.
After it was decorated, in the 1780s, the pavilion became known as the Morning Hall. At that time, in accordance with Catherine II’s wishes, ancient sculptures and vases made of coloured stone were installed here, as well as Houdon’s statue of Voltaire that is now on display in the State Hermitage Museum. This pavilion was glorified by the poet G. Derjavin in the 18th century. The landing-stage in front of the Grotto was reconstructed in 1830 and 1872. During the Second World War it was almost completely destroyed and it was rebuilt in granite in 1971–72 to a new design.
At present the pavilion is used as a venue for temporary exhibitions.
It seems that small perching birds attempt to stay out of the direct view of intruders. They seem to accomplish this "safety" by sitting behind twigs and leaves or by flying to higher perches in the tree when approached by the ever-hopeful photographer. Even this brightly colored Northern Cardinal stayed in place after retreating to the porous protection of the spike-like leaves. Maybe this observation explains why I end up with so many pictures of birds obscured by branches ; -)
This picture was taken at Corkscrew Swamp, Florida (but Cardinals are relatively common throughout the Eastern half of the United States, including my home State, Michigan.).
At Sedona's elevation and amount of rainfall the conifer trees dominate - Arizona Cypress, Pinon Pine and the Juniper. These trees keep their leaves year round and are more oil based and aromatic.
Many of the larger trees and bushes secrete acids from their roots which can eat through soft rock and allow the tree to search for water in the porous rock. This is one reason that you may notice an abundance of bushes growing from the sides of some of the red rocks. In fact, the mesquite tree can have a taproot which extends almost 75 feet down into the ground.
Many trees need high temperatures from fires to open up their seed cones but the Arizona Cypress uses lightening. You find these red barked trees in low lying areas around washes as they need extra water. The red in the bark is due to iron content, which attracts lightening. As these trees get struck, the top will start on fire and the sap gets vaporized into steam which runs down to the root system. The roots are so deep and the ground so hard that the steam is forced back up the tree which puts the fire out and heats up the tree to open its seed cones.
Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden (豫园 literaly Garden of Happiness) is an extensive Chinese garden located beside the City God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai at Huangpu District, Shanghai. It abuts the Yuyuan Tourist Mart, the Huxinting Teahouse and the Yu Garden Bazaar.
This garden is accessible from the Shanghai Metro's Line 10 and Line 14 Yuyuan Garden station.
A centerpiece is the Exquisite Jade Rock (玉玲珑) a porous 3.3-m, 5-ton boulder. Rumours about its origin include the story that it was meant for the Huizong Emperor (Northern Song Dynasty from 1100 to 1126 AD) the imperial garden in Bianjing, but was salvaged from the Huangpu River after the boat carrying it had sunk.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Garden
El Jardín Yu o Jardín Yuyuan (豫园 literalmente Jardín de la Felicidad) es un extenso jardín chino ubicado junto al Templo del Dios de la Ciudad en el noreste de la Ciudad Vieja de Shanghai en el distrito de Huangpu, Shanghai. Colinda con el Yuyuan Tourist Mart, la casa de té Huxinting y el Yu Garden Bazaar.
Se puede acceder a este jardín desde la estación Yuyuan Garden de las líneas 10 y 14 del metro de Shanghai.
Una pieza central es la Exquisita Roca de Jade (玉玲珑), una roca porosa de 3,3 m y 5 toneladas. Los rumores sobre su origen incluyen la historia de que estaba destinado al emperador Huizong (dinastía Song del Norte de 1100 a 1126 d. C.) el jardín imperial en Bianjing, pero que fue rescatado del río Huangpu después de que el barco que lo transportaba se hundiera.
Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden (Garden of Happiness) is an extensive Chinese garden located beside the City God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai at Huangpu Qu, Shanghai Shi. It abuts the Yuyuan Tourist Mart, the Huxinting Teahouse and the Yu Garden Bazaar. This garden is accessible from the Shanghai Metro's Line 10 Yuyuan Garden Station. A centerpiece is the Exquisite Jade Rock porous 3.3-m, 5-ton boulder. Rumours about its origin include the story that it was meant for the Huizong Emperor (Northern Song Dynasty from 1100-1126 AD) at the imperial palace in Beijing, but was salvaged from the Huangpu River after the boat carrying it had sunk. Yu Garden was first built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty by Pan Yunduan as a comfort for his father, the minister Pan En, in his old age. Pan Yunduan began the project after failing one of the imperial exams, but his appointment as governor of Sichuan postponed construction for nearly twenty years until 1577. The garden was the largest and most prestigious of its era in Shanghai, but eventually its expense helped ruin the Pans. Today, Yu Garden occupies an area of 2 hectares, and is divided into six general areas laid out in the Suzhou style.
Chinese gardens are constructed to recreate and miniaturize larger natural landscapes. Traditionally, Chinese gardens blend unique, ornate buildings with natural elements. Just about every Chinese garden contains architecture, like a building or pavilion; decorative rocks and a rock garden; plants, trees and flowers; and water elements, like ponds. Most Chinese gardens are enclosed by a wall and some have winding paths. Chinese gardens aren’t just thrown together. Instead, they’re deliberately designed and visitors should walk through them in the particular order that the garden was laid out. A95_194
One more reason to love Flickr:
Earlier today, I posted an old IR pic and said I wished I knew how to set the correct white balance. Szmytke left me a comment with instructions and... whaddya know... it's a whole freakin' infranew world!
This one is suffering from too much processing. (Reminds me of those girls in high school with their hair so coarse and porous and brittle from repeated bleachings and permings. ) Anyway... yes, overprocessed... but one of many interesting results I got today. Not great pics, but learning experiences. And... just when I needed it... a new avenue of shooting to explore.
There's not a lot of standing water in the Mono Basin due to the deep, porous pumice deposits, but there are some small reflecting ponds you can find near springs that flow after a wet winter.
In 1908 Wheeler National Monument was established in the name of explorer George Wheeler who first surveyed the area, it was the first national monument in Colorado. The monument was later downgraded to a geologic area when visitors greatly decreased after World War II.
The Wheeler Geologic Area sits in the La Garita Caldera, a huge crater that was formed about 28 million years ago during one of the largest known volcanic eruptions on Earth. The volcano spewed an estimated 1,200 cubic miles of ash over much of what is now Colorado, and collapsed, forming the roughly 22-mile-by-47-mile crater. Over time, natural forces compressed the ash into a rock called tuff, which is porous and highly erodible. Wheeler’s strange hoodoos and spires are the results of millions of years of erosion of this soft tuff.
A series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 metres out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvítá river from ledges of less porous rock in the lava. The name hraun comes from the Icelandic word for lava. "Wikipedia"
Hraunfossar (Borgarfjörður, western Iceland) is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 metres out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvítá river from ledges of less porous rock in the lava. The name hraun comes from the Icelandic word for lava. The Hraunfossar are situated near Húsafell and Reykholt
The whole 10 Yuan – Todo por 10 Yuan
Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden (豫园 literaly Garden of Happiness) is an extensive Chinese garden located beside the City God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai at Huangpu District, Shanghai. It abuts the Yuyuan Tourist Mart, the Huxinting Teahouse and the Yu Garden Bazaar.
This garden is accessible from the Shanghai Metro's Line 10 and Line 14 Yuyuan Garden station.
A centerpiece is the Exquisite Jade Rock (玉玲珑) a porous 3.3-m, 5-ton boulder. Rumours about its origin include the story that it was meant for the Huizong Emperor (Northern Song Dynasty from 1100 to 1126 AD) the imperial garden in Bianjing, but was salvaged from the Huangpu River after the boat carrying it had sunk.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Garden
El Jardín Yu o Jardín Yuyuan (豫园 literalmente Jardín de la Felicidad) es un extenso jardín chino ubicado junto al Templo del Dios de la Ciudad en el noreste de la Ciudad Vieja de Shanghai en el distrito de Huangpu, Shanghai. Colinda con el Yuyuan Tourist Mart, la casa de té Huxinting y el Yu Garden Bazaar.
Se puede acceder a este jardín desde la estación Yuyuan Garden de las líneas 10 y 14 del metro de Shanghai.
Una pieza central es la Exquisita Roca de Jade (玉玲珑), una roca porosa de 3,3 m y 5 toneladas. Los rumores sobre su origen incluyen la historia de que estaba destinado al emperador Huizong (dinastía Song del Norte de 1100 a 1126 d. C.) el jardín imperial en Bianjing, pero que fue rescatado del río Huangpu después de que el barco que lo transportaba se hundiera.
One of the most beautiful hikes in Bryce canyon is to Mossy cave waterfall. The water you see here and that pours over the waterfall are the result of a manmade ditch which pulls water from the side of Bryce canyon which normally drains into the Great Basin via the Sevier river and augments the drainage into the paria river a part of the Colordao River drainage on the eastern side of Bryce Canyon. This greatly helped the pioneers to this desert area to grow crops and persist in the basin below where even with this augmented water supply, most of the water flows under ground due to the very porous nature of the river bed.
After our morning session at Draycott Sleights we drove the short distance across to Priddy Mineries, where we found that the top pool, known as Waldegrave Pool, was completely dry :-((. This has happened before - I remember dragonfly people trying to rescue Downy Emerald larvae when I first started going there about 15 years ago. I think the problem is that the barrage is very porous, so the pond relies on being constantly re-filled from above, and when that's not happening due to lack of rain it dries out unusually quickly.
Fortunately the bottom pond was absolutely fine (which tends to support the theory above) and there were lots of dragons and damsels as well as swallows skimming the water to drink (or catch flies on the surface? - I'm never really sure). Graham spotted this damsel, which turned out to be our only Emerald Damselfly of the day. They are normally quite numerous at the top pool, so let's hope they can recover.
Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden (豫园 literaly Garden of Happiness) is an extensive Chinese garden located beside the City God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai at Huangpu District, Shanghai. It abuts the Yuyuan Tourist Mart, the Huxinting Teahouse and the Yu Garden Bazaar.
This garden is accessible from the Shanghai Metro's Line 10 and Line 14 Yuyuan Garden station.
A centerpiece is the Exquisite Jade Rock (玉玲珑) a porous 3.3-m, 5-ton boulder. Rumours about its origin include the story that it was meant for the Huizong Emperor (Northern Song Dynasty from 1100 to 1126 AD) the imperial garden in Bianjing, but was salvaged from the Huangpu River after the boat carrying it had sunk.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Garden
El Jardín Yu o Jardín Yuyuan (豫园 literalmente Jardín de la Felicidad) es un extenso jardín chino ubicado junto al Templo del Dios de la Ciudad en el noreste de la Ciudad Vieja de Shanghai en el distrito de Huangpu, Shanghai. Colinda con el Yuyuan Tourist Mart, la casa de té Huxinting y el Yu Garden Bazaar.
Se puede acceder a este jardín desde la estación Yuyuan Garden de las líneas 10 y 14 del metro de Shanghai.
Una pieza central es la Exquisita Roca de Jade (玉玲珑), una roca porosa de 3,3 m y 5 toneladas. Los rumores sobre su origen incluyen la historia de que estaba destinado al emperador Huizong (dinastía Song del Norte de 1100 a 1126 d. C.) el jardín imperial en Bianjing, pero que fue rescatado del río Huangpu después de que el barco que lo transportaba se hundiera.
“Make your ego porous. Will is of little importance, complaining is nothing, fame is nothing. Openness, patience, receptivity, solitude is everything.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke
Pants & Shirt from Elegance Store (Loren Pants & Loren Top)
Shoes from Azoury Store (Le Coeur des Vierges)
Beautiful Juayua Cascades in Sonsonate - El Salvador. This was our first trip to this country. I must say that I was bit worried about going there , I heard that after 12 years if very brutal civil war ( 1980 – 92 ) and history of gangs it was not very safe. We met couple that know a lot about El Salvador and they give us few pointers. I was very pleasantly surprised , it was very nice and safe.
In addition official currency of El Salvador is … $ US – so that makes it easy for most of us.
Something interesting – look at the cascades, they are starting not from the top of the cliff but from layer of porous rock that water is sipping through. That is often associated with active volcanic geology of the area ( similar to waterfalls in Iceland )
Cliff detail, Grand Canyon, a few miles downstream from Redwall Cavern. My guess is that the dark-colored layer at the bottom is the top of the Muav limestone, evidently a much less permeable layer than the more porous Redwall limestone above. When the water in the Redwall channels reaches the bottom, it has to go somewhere, and these portals provide an outlet. Whether this is the boundary between Muav and Redwall, these two formations are separated in time by 65 million years--an "unconformity".
I like how the cliff on the right slants in a different direction. This gives a stronger 3D effect to the shot.
Kandovan village is a village in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. This village is a wonderful example of manmade cliff dwelling which is still inhabited. The troglodyte homes, excavated inside volcanic rocks and tuffs similar to dwellings in the Turkish region of Cappadocia, are locally called “Karaan”. Karaans were cut into the Lahars (volcanic mudflow or debris flow) of Mount Sahand. The cone form of the houses is the result of lahar flow consisting of porous round and angular pumice together with other volcanic particles that were positioned in a grey acidic matrix. After the eruption of Sahand these materials were naturally moved and formed the rocks of Kandovan. Around the village the thickness of this formation exceeds 100 m and with time due to water erosion the cone shaped cliffs were formed. At the 2006 census, the village population was 601, in 168 families
Mátala ist ein Dorf an der Südküste der griechischen Insel Kreta. Nach dem griechischen Mythos war Matala der Ort, an dem Zeus in Stiergestalt mit der von ihm entführten phönizischen Prinzessin Europa an Land ging. Er verwandelte sich hier in einen Adler und brachte Europa weiter nach Gortyn.
Matala zählte 2011 67 Einwohner und ist heute eine Siedlung in der Ortschaft Pitsidia im Gemeindebezirk Tymbaki der Gemeinde Festos.
In der Jungsteinzeit wurden in das weiche, poröse Gestein der Bucht zahlreiche Wohnhöhlen gegraben, die in der Zeit der römischen Besetzung Kretas als Grabstätten genutzt wurden. Bis heute sind sie die berühmteste Attraktion von Matala geblieben. In der minoischen Epoche befand sich an dieser Stelle vermutlich der Hafen von Phaistos; in römischer Zeit war Matala der Hafen von Gortyn. Die Sarazenen unter Abu Hafs Omar, die 824 Kreta eroberten, gingen zuerst in Matala an Land.
In den 1960er Jahren siedelten sich in den neolithischen Wohnhöhlen Hippies aus aller Welt an (darunter viele junge US-Bürger, die ihre Teilnahme am Vietnamkrieg verweigerten), und gründeten dort eine große Kommune.
Mátala is a village on the south coast of the Greek island of Crete. According to Greek mythology, Matala was the place where Zeus in the shape of a bull went ashore with the Phoenician princess Europa, who he kidnapped. Here he transformed himself into an eagle and brought Europa further to Gortyn.
Matala had 67 inhabitants in 2011 and is now a settlement in the village of Pitsidia in the Tymbaki district of the municipality of Festos.
In the Neolithic Age, numerous residential caves were dug into the soft, porous rock of the bay, which were used as burial sites during the Roman occupation of Crete. Until today they have remained the most famous attraction of Matala. In the Minoan era, the port of Phaistos was probably located on this site; in Roman times Matala was the port of Gortyn. The Saracens under Abu Hafs Omar, who conquered Crete in 824, first landed in Matala.
In the 1960s, hippies from all over the world (including many young US citizens who refused to participate in the Vietnam War) settled in the Neolithic caves and founded a large commune there.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christopher Dresser (1835-1904)
for Minton
Cast and glazed flintware with overglaze decoration in enamel color and gold embellishment.
Dimensions:
Height: 15 cm
Depth: 5.5 cm
Width: 14.1 cm
Diameter: 4.3 cm
Inventory No. OK-1985-0002
Norwegian National Museum, Oslo, aka the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/collection/object/OK-1985-0002
=========================
This boldly colored vessel is an outstanding example of Victorian designer Christopher Dresser’s pioneering modernism. Drawing on Asian and Middle Eastern influences, the flask’s flattened round body is supported by two footed extensions, referencing Islamic pilgrim flasks while incorporating a stylized butterfly motif framed by a vibrant geometric border. The use of saturated pink, cobalt, and gold reflects Dresser’s fascination with Japanese and Chinese ornament, filtered through his own radically abstract visual language.
Dresser’s work was translated into ceramic art via a highly organized and collaborative factory process—he designed the motifs and compositions, but trained decorators at Minton’s carried out the work with precision tools, stencils, and painted enamel techniques.
This was typical of Dresser’s revolutionary role as a designer, not a craftsman. He was among the first in Britain to insist that design and production could be separated, bringing industrial methods to artistic
Though designed in 1865, the piece was produced by Minton & Co. in Stoke-on-Trent around 1880, at the height of Dresser’s collaboration with the firm. Dresser, trained in botany and steeped in design theory, rejected historical pastiche in favor of clarity, asymmetry, and cultural synthesis—hallmarks of his proto-modern aesthetic.
Now in the collection of the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design (Nasjonalmuseet) in Oslo, this flask exemplifies the fusion of industrial production and avant-garde design that Dresser championed decades before the Bauhaus.
About the clay: Flintware is a type of highly refined earthenware ceramic, developed in England in the 18th century and widely used by potteries like Minton, Wedgwood, and others. Despite the name, it does not contain actual flint nodules—rather, it uses calcined (heated and crushed) flint as a key ingredient in the clay body.
🔍 Key characteristics of flintware:
Smooth, white, fine-textured body
– More refined than common earthenware
– Ideal for crisp decoration and enamel painting
Made from white clay + ground flint (silica)
– Flint improves strength and whiteness
– Allows for finer detail and thinner walls than coarse pottery
Fired at lower temperatures than porcelain or stoneware
– Still porous and needs a glaze to be watertight
Often used by Minton for decorative wares in the mid-19th century
– Especially for enamel-painted, gilt, or orientalist-inspired designs like the Dresser flask
⚱️ Why flintware for the Pilgrim Flask?
Christopher Dresser’s flask demanded:
Bold color contrasts
Smooth surface for fine enamel work
A base light enough to be painted in vivid opaque glazes
Flintware offered all of this. It was cheaper than porcelain, but could imitate its delicacy when handled expertly—which Minton certainly did.
So in essence, flintware was a refined, decorator-friendly earthenware: not quite fine porcelain, but purpose-built for colorful, detailed, industrial art objects like the one you’re photographing.
=======================
The Pilgrim Flask designed by Christopher Dresser for Minton was not a one-off—there was indeed a limited production run, though pieces like this remained rare and expensive, aimed at the upper-middle-class and elite market for avant-garde decorative art.
Here’s the breakdown:
🎨 Design Origins
Dresser designed this flask in 1865, and Minton began producing examples around 1880, during the height of the Aesthetic Movement.
It reflects Dresser’s interest in Japanese, Islamic, and botanical motifs, and his pioneering role as a professional designer working in collaboration with industry.
🏭 Production Context
Minton produced such flasks as part of their Art Pottery line, which aimed to combine industrial techniques with high artistic value.
These pieces were typically:
Molded (not wheel-thrown), allowing small-batch replication
Hand-enamelled, meaning each was hand-decorated and slightly unique
Intended for exhibition, wealthy domestic interiors, or export
📊 Rarity
Though not unique, this flask would have been:
Produced in small numbers, likely dozens rather than hundreds
Expensive, due to the enameling labor and Dresser’s reputation
Not mass-market—sold through luxury retailers or at exhibitions (e.g. the South Kensington Museum)
️ Surviving Examples
Versions of this flask are now in several major collections:
Victoria and Albert Museum (London)
National Museum (Oslo)
Cooper Hewitt (New York)
Private collections and design auctions
Each has variations in enamel color and finishing, which supports the idea of artisanal decoration atop a common mold.
Summary
The flask is best described as a limited-series art object—designed for production, but with each unit finished by hand to stand as a distinct work of decorative art. This hybrid model was central to Dresser’s legacy as a bridge between art and industry.
This text is a collaboration with Chat GPT.
Do deer antlers grow back if broken?
If it happens in the fall after the velvet is off it is pretty much dead bone like material. It is a little porous in the center and much denser around the periphery. The deer will eventually shed the remaining portion of the antler the fall and spring and regrow a normal set of Antlers afterwards.
Deer Age Plays a Factor in Antler Growth
The whitetail male deer usually reach adult size when they are 5 or 6 years old. After that, their antlers generally do not increase in size each year. They also grow back the same shape, or close to it, every regrowth.
Can you tell a deer's age by the antlers?
There is really no precise way to accurately do deer aging while hunting, other than looking at the teeth. Despite the many stories hunters tell each other, the size of the antlers and the number of points on the antlers is not a reliable age guide. Antler size is more a function of diet and heredity than it is of age.
Thank you so much for visiting my stream, whether you comments , favorites or just have a look.
I appreciate it very much, wishing the best of luck and good light.
© All rights reserved R.Ertug Please do not use this image without my explicit written permission. Contact me by Flickr mail if you want to buy or use Your comments and critiques are very well appreciated.
Lens - With Nikon TC 14E II hand held - Monopod and SPORT VR on. Aperture is f8 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Release Clamp - Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6 ED VR fitted MPR-113 Multi-Purpose Rail lens foot and Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod.
Thanks for stopping and looking :)
Hraunfossar (Borgarfjörður, western Iceland) is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 metres out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvítá river from ledges of less porous rock in the lava. The name hraun comes from the Icelandic word for lava. The Hraunfossar are situated near Húsafell and Reykholt
This brute was growing at my cabin site in Carroll County, Ohio. The texture underneath the cap is porous. The top of the cap was very smooth.
Water seepage thorough the porous red sandstone of the canyon wall on the downstream side of the Glen Canyon Dam in Page Arizona.
The Broad is the contemporary art museum on Grand Avenue founded by Eli Broad and houses the Broad art collections. It opened in 2015, and is a LA 'must-visit' landmark.
The Broad's distinctive architecture is based on a 'veil and vault' concept. The 'vault' is the main concrete building. It is enclosed within a porous 'veil', giving the building a honeycomblike exterior, It was designed by architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
Los Angeles; October, 2022
In ‘The Genesis Exhibition: Do Ho Suh: Walk the House’, Korean-born, London-based artist Do Ho Suh invites visitors to explore his large-scale installations, sculptures, videos and drawings in this major survey exhibition.
Is home a place, a feeling, or an idea? Suh asks timely questions about the enigma of home, identity and how we move through and inhabit the world around us.
With immersive artworks exploring belonging, collectivity and individuality, connection and disconnection, Suh examines the intricate relationship between architecture, space, the body, and the memories and the moments that make us who we are.
Source: www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/the-genesis-exhibiti...
Nest/s (2024)
Nest/s is connected to an ongoing fabric architecture series Suh calls ‘Hubs’. They form what he describes as an ‘impossible’ architecture. The Hubs serie is based on threshold, such as corridors or entryways, from spaces Suh has occupied throughout his life. In Nest/s, each section is drawn from rooms Suh has inhabited, which together create a continuous passageway. Unlike most building materials, the translucency and delicacy of the textile conveys impressions of the original space rather than acting as a precise replica. The work is made through centuries-old techniques of working with fabric in Korea. The polyester material is today used for traditional Korean summer clothing, emphasizing Suh’s interest in the relationship between architecture and the body. Nest/s breathable and porous quality allows in the surroundings of the museum and the sight of visitors passing through it, blurring the boundaries between inside and outside? Suh considers the fabric architectures to be ‘activated’ once occupied.
Source: Info in the exhibition, right next to the work
.........words I don't want to use too much
Cause
They might wear out.
I saved some words mostly becuase
There are days
When I can't stay kissed.
Days when all my confidence
Wears off,
When I'm porous
And just have to have
More of you
To fill me in.
I'm in Frankfurt but miss my country.I need the Icelandic light and colors.
Hraunfossar (Borgarfjörður, western Iceland) is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 meters out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvítá river from ledges of less porous rock in the lava. The name hraun comes from the Icelandic word for lava. The Hraunfossar are situated near Húsafell and Reykholt and lava-tube cave Víðgelmir is close by.
This image shows an entrance to the "Cloudy Forest Court" (very appropriate on this foggy morning). Beyond the entrance you see a large rock brought from near Lake Tai in China. Known better as Taihu stone (Chinese: 太湖石) this porous stone is produced at the foot of Dongting Mountain (洞庭山) in Suzhou, which is close to Lake Tai. Due to long-term surging by water, this kind of stone features large pores and holes.
This Court also has a display of Penjing - the ancient Chinese art of depicting artistically formed trees, other plants, and landscapes in miniature. This is similar to Japanese Bonsai.
Centaurea diffusa (diffuse knapweed)
Also known as “White knapweed” or “Tumble knapweed”.
Family: Asteraceae. Genus: Centaurea. (are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere).
Can be an annual or biennial plant.
Height from 10 to 60cm, Flowers: June to September. (Alicante, Spain).
This plant is native to eastern Mediterranean, Austria, Hungary, Greece and Romania being the primary countries of its origin.;
Centaurea diffusa prefers light, dry porous soils, sandy type soils are ideal, this type of soil gives good drainage and air to the root system, as the plants roots do not like heavy soils that contain water. Here in Spain we have large areas of sandy soils especially near the coast.
Diffuse knapweed (like many species of knapweed) is an important pollen source for most species of bees, particularly honey bees, in mid to late summer. Unfortunately, it is not welcome in agriculture and is poisonous to many types of livestock that are grazing in fields. It is not an easy “weed” (A Plant is named a weed when growing in the wrong place), too eliminate as it has a large taproot and a single plant can produce up to 18000 seeds, which are easily dispersed in the wind. Centaurea diffusa is a serious invading species in parts of western North America, proving to be very hard to eradicate in unwanted places. Knapweed plants are harmful because they are strongly allelopathic, the root system produces powerful toxins that stunts the growth of many types of plants, including grasses, growing around them.
Biological means, by the way of insects have been introduced to North America to help to control many types of knapweed. These insects were introduced from the Eastern Mediterranean countries where the plants originated from. The Lesser knapweed flower weevil Larinus minutus) lay their eggs on the seed heads of the plant. knapweed root weevil (Cyphocleonus achates) lay their eggs at the root of the plant for the larvae to feed on. The Yellow-winged knapweed root moth (Agapeta zoegana) and two species of Tephritidae flies (Urophoraaffinis and Urophora quadrifasciata) all help to contain Centaurea diffusa and also another invasive knapweed plant “Spotted knapweed”.
Physical control to remove knapweed is an effective way of controlling knapweed, although this is very labour intensive, as it involves digging up the long taproot to be effective. (Obviously this has to be done before the seed heads develop, otherwise you will be aiding the plant to disperse its seeds). Burning and cutting down knapweed is not always successful, because if the taproot survives, then the plant has a very good chance to recover.
Chemicals used in spraying knapweed can have a short-term control advantage, but some plants have shown to build up a resistance to this and in the long term these plants could prove to be harder to eradicate.
Halictus scabiosae, (Rossi, 1790) The Great Banded Furrow Bee
Flight season: Females normally appear on wing before the males, late April till September.
Length: 12 to 15mm
Family: Halictidae, (Sweat bees)
The Great banded Furrow bee is present in most of Europe and in North Africa.
Nests are constructed in flat and sandy areas; they can also be constructed in sloping ground (mounds and cliffs).
This species is considered to be eusocial, nests can be communal with more than one egg producing female, the young unfertilised daughters become workers. The workers are typically smaller than their foundresses. After about five weeks the newly laid egg develops into an adult.
Males differ more noticeably as they have a slimmer and elongated body, also their antennas are noticeably longer. The males die after mating in the autumn, females after mating will live on and hibernate throughout winter. The females will live until the next generation start to emerge from their pupae around July to August.
Habitat: Various…Light soils, particularly sandy coastal areas, dunes, heathland, waste grounds and grasslands of various sorts. Most flowers are visited for pollen and nectar (especially the Asteraceae family of plants) that can grow in these light soil conditions.
Explored!
Just south of Pescadero, CA, is a small beach locally known as Pebble Beach. Instead of sand it is covered with pebbles that have eroded out of poorly consolidated marine terrace sedimentary deposits in the face of the short bluff at the top of the beach. The rocks that surround and underlie the pebbles are sedimentary rocks. Many of them have this wonderful pattern on them.
This is a weathering pattern known as tafoni. It is likely caused by repeated soaking of porous rock during which small amounts of the rock material dissolves and migrate in solution to the surface of the rock. This results in a gradual weakening of the inner portions of the rock's structure.
Then, as water evaporates from the surface of the rock the dissolved materials remineralize, creating a harder crust-like surface. Eventually that outer crust remains as the inner structure weathers, then erodes away leaving the tafoni structure.
If the new cavities are oriented properly they can capture pebbles that then rattle around in the cavity as waves pass, causing the cavities to grow. But many of these tafoni pockets are not oriented in a direction that would capture pebbles, so that process would not fully explain the pattern.
Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden (豫园 literaly Garden of Happiness) is an extensive Chinese garden located beside the City God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai at Huangpu District, Shanghai. It abuts the Yuyuan Tourist Mart, the Huxinting Teahouse and the Yu Garden Bazaar.
This garden is accessible from the Shanghai Metro's Line 10 and Line 14 Yuyuan Garden station.
A centerpiece is the Exquisite Jade Rock (玉玲珑) a porous 3.3-m, 5-ton boulder. Rumours about its origin include the story that it was meant for the Huizong Emperor (Northern Song Dynasty from 1100 to 1126 AD) the imperial garden in Bianjing, but was salvaged from the Huangpu River after the boat carrying it had sunk.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Garden
El Jardín Yu o Jardín Yuyuan (豫园 literalmente Jardín de la Felicidad) es un extenso jardín chino ubicado junto al Templo del Dios de la Ciudad en el noreste de la Ciudad Vieja de Shanghai en el distrito de Huangpu, Shanghai. Colinda con el Yuyuan Tourist Mart, la casa de té Huxinting y el Yu Garden Bazaar.
Se puede acceder a este jardín desde la estación Yuyuan Garden de las líneas 10 y 14 del metro de Shanghai.
Una pieza central es la Exquisita Roca de Jade (玉玲珑), una roca porosa de 3,3 m y 5 toneladas. Los rumores sobre su origen incluyen la historia de que estaba destinado al emperador Huizong (dinastía Song del Norte de 1100 a 1126 d. C.) el jardín imperial en Bianjing, pero que fue rescatado del río Huangpu después de que el barco que lo transportaba se hundiera.
Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden (豫园 literaly Garden of Happiness) is an extensive Chinese garden located beside the City God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai at Huangpu District, Shanghai. It abuts the Yuyuan Tourist Mart, the Huxinting Teahouse and the Yu Garden Bazaar.
This garden is accessible from the Shanghai Metro's Line 10 and Line 14 Yuyuan Garden station.
A centerpiece is the Exquisite Jade Rock (玉玲珑) a porous 3.3-m, 5-ton boulder. Rumours about its origin include the story that it was meant for the Huizong Emperor (Northern Song Dynasty from 1100 to 1126 AD) the imperial garden in Bianjing, but was salvaged from the Huangpu River after the boat carrying it had sunk.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Garden
El Jardín Yu o Jardín Yuyuan (豫园 literalmente Jardín de la Felicidad) es un extenso jardín chino ubicado junto al Templo del Dios de la Ciudad en el noreste de la Ciudad Vieja de Shanghai en el distrito de Huangpu, Shanghai. Colinda con el Yuyuan Tourist Mart, la casa de té Huxinting y el Yu Garden Bazaar.
Se puede acceder a este jardín desde la estación Yuyuan Garden de las líneas 10 y 14 del metro de Shanghai.
Una pieza central es la Exquisita Roca de Jade (玉玲珑), una roca porosa de 3,3 m y 5 toneladas. Los rumores sobre su origen incluyen la historia de que estaba destinado al emperador Huizong (dinastía Song del Norte de 1100 a 1126 d. C.) el jardín imperial en Bianjing, pero que fue rescatado del río Huangpu después de que el barco que lo transportaba se hundiera.