Its Art! ... or Not.
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The Quay and lime kiln at Beaumont flourished during the 19th century with barges bring in cargoes of coal and chalk ( some of which went to fuel and provide the raw material for the lime kiln) building materials and agricultural produce. by the early years of the 20th century however, trade had declined, the lime kiln ceased production and by 1921 the quay was out of use.
A unique raw material on the island:
Unlike most island volcanic cones, Rano Raraku is composed of a unique type of rock on the island known as the Lapilli tuff. The tuff is a porous rock formed by the accumulation of volcanic ash ejected during an eruption, which when cooled, in contact with the atmosphere, is compacted and hardened.
The main characteristic of this volcanic tuff is its low hardness under the surface, compared to basalt, which encouraged the ancient sculptors to use it as raw material to carve the huge statues.
It is striking that most of the tuff is concentrated in the southeast half of the cone, coinciding with the vertical wall, and just emerges a little in the northern half. According to some geologists, this large rocky cliff would be the only remnant of an ancient submarine volcano. Which, largely disappeared due to erosion, was later covered by red ash emitted by the new adjacent crater. This would explain the great difference of materials found on both sides of the Rano Raraku.
Diefflen, Germany – 2015, April 22
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The buried moais of Easter Island - Secrets, history and location:
They are perhaps the most typical moais and the ones that you will see the most in all of Easter Island. It is about those giant heads that protrude from the ground and are the typical figure of all of Rapa Nui. But why are they different from other statues? What makes them so special? Is it true that they have a buried body? I'll tell you then.
About the buried moai:
There is a popular belief that moai are only heads, but the truth is that these statues have a full body and the heads that are seen in the typical tourist images of Rapa Nui, hide a remaining two or three meters of these giants underground. .
But why are these moai buried and not on top of the Ahu like most other statues? The answer is simple and is related to the carving and construction of the same. The construction of the moais was divided into 4 stages:
* In the first place they carved one of the stones that was in the Rano Raraku volcano. These figures were carved directly in the rocks buried or that came out of the volcano.
* Once the base figure of the moai was finished, they carved and removed the stone from its base to move it.
* This stone was then buried so that it would remain standing and the finer details (features, eye sockets, etc.) could be finished.
* Once finished, they moved the moai to its final location (one of the many Ahu on the island).
Okay, so why did these moai remain buried and are not on an Ahu? Simply because the natives did not finish the job and left them halfway (the reason is still unknown).
Theories about the heads of Easter Island:
As I said in the previous point, there is still no certainty about why these moais are buried, but what there are are two theories accepted by the experts.
In the first place we have those who affirm that the moais are buried in holes previously dug to finalize the details and carvings that these statues have.
As a second theory, there are those who say that they were left there (halfway to Ahu) and that later, the climatic changes were burying them little by little until they became the outstanding heads that they are today.
Buried moai size:
Although they vary in size and although not all the moai have been unearthed to have an exact average, those that have been taken from the earth measure between 6 and 7 meters, thus exceeding 4 meters of most of the statues that are in the Ahu.
On the heads (the part that protrudes), they measure on average two meters in height (one third of the total height).
Body of the moais:
Although the shape is very similar to that of the moais that are on the Ahu, there are some differences that are worth mentioning:
* The body (the buried part) is bright yellow. This was the original color of all the moais but these are the only ones that maintain it since the earth protected them from the deterioration that the other giants did suffer.
* The average size of the buried statues is 6 meters, while the average size of the Ahu moais is 4 meters.
* Buried moai have a larger and more prominent nose than Ahu moai.
* Unlike the statues of the Ahu, there is no buried moai that wears a Pukao (red cap on its head).
* The heads of Easter Island do not have the eye sockets carved. This leads us to believe that this part was carved after the moai was raised on an Ahu, that is, when it was already raised.
* Not all, but many of the buried moais have a stake-shaped base (to facilitate the burial of their body), while all Ahu moai have a flat base for standing.
Moai unearthed:
We already know what they are like, what their shape is and the main theories about why they are buried, but is there any record of the body of these heads? It does exist and it is quite impressive.
While there are many archaeologists who have unearthed and studied the moai, one of the most important projects is part of the Easter Island Statue Project, led by American Jo Anne van Tilburg from the University of California.
Jo and her team have already uncovered several bodies of these stone giants and their record is beyond incredible. Thanks to her work, new figures were discovered engraved on the backs of these colossi, new colors and new materials with which they were built.
The record of her work continues to surprise to this day.
Location heads of Easter Island:
Most (almost entirely) of the buried moai are found in the Rano Raraku volcano. It was from here that the islanders took the raw material to build the statues on the island and it was from here that they moved them to the Ahu or left them buried.
In the quarry, on the hillside and even in the crater of the volcano, I saw around 110 buried statues. The panorama and vision was really impressive. I couldn't miss this volcano, which unlike the other volcanoes that are distinguished by their natural environment, here the most impressive thing is to see the set of buried and assembled moais.
“Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in, can hope to escape. ”
RIP Shane - you have no more demons to battle <3
miafoxdale.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/can-we-really-ever-es...
Hanging on the wall of a cozy Pub in Mount Parnassus Home of the Muses.
Is the line between Art & Craft vanishing ?
A lovely piece of Alternative Art showing that Creativity has no limits.Some Unglamorous Discarded Natural Materials put together Aesthetically & Creating Asymmetrical Balance in Art ...
♥ ღ Grateful Thanks my Flickr Stars for your visits & comments ღ ♥
EXPLORE
We all have the same 24 hours & raw materials from the first breath we take in our life
- then why some people are happy & some aren’t ?
- then why some achieve & some don’t ?
Any thoughts.... Would love to know your opinion & mindset ...
Always loved this little award. I was part of a team buying raw materials for the production of Ritz Crackers at Nabisco's plant in Welwyn Garden City, Herts UK.
Production was moved to another plant in Liverpool. I received this object which is a real Ritz encapsulated in plastic as a memento. Still a treasured item.
So, this is another angle of the Mount Washington Tavern on Rt 40. The treatment is a little different to go along with the angle. May you have a fantastic week ahead!
Notes, comments, faves and corrective criticism are always appreciated!!! Thank you in advance! =-)
Please visit my site and tell me what you think!
"The craving for colour is a natural necessity just as for water and fire. Colour is a raw material indispensable to life. At every era of his existence and his history, the human being has associated colour with his joys, his actions and his pleasures."
(Fernand Leger)
"What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time."
John Berger
(n.) *Endlessness
1. the property of being (or seeming to be) without end
Gaspesian Peninsula Endlessness, Métis-sur-Mer, Québec, Canada.
PixQuote:
"What makes photography a strange invention-- with unforeseeable consequences-- is that its primary raw materials are light and time."
- John Berger
So this is the Pacman Nebula imaged in narrowband bicolour with my OIII and Ha filters.
A large emission nebula The Pacman Nebula - NGC 281 - is found in the constellation of Cassiopeia lying at a distance of over 9,000 light years. The nebula is also catalogued as IC11 and Sharpless 184 (Sh2-184).
A dark dust lane forms Pacman's "mouth" . The nebula is around 48 light years across.
It is a star-forming region containing young stars, dark dust lanes and Bok globules. The Bok globules are small dense, dark nebulae packed with the raw materials for new stars.
Clear skies here on the 7th March allowed me to capture some more Ha data and, at last, some OIII data, to add to that which I had captured on the 26th February. Unfortunately there was a blazing moon present in the sky but I was happy with what I'd acquired in spite of this.
I was hopeful that as the moon was positioned virtually opposite to where my telescope (the Pacman was in the NW sky) was imaging that I would be spared the worst interference, more especially regarding the OIII exposures!
Imaged with my Esprit 120ED with focal reducer and a ZWO1600MM camera with Baader narrowband filters.
35 x 240s Ha on 26/02 & 07/03
40 x 240s OIII on 07/03/23
Temp. matched Darks,Flats & Dark Flats.
Data processed using APP, Starnet and Photoshop 2023.
Many thanks for looking!!
I find my photography has morphed into something beyond shooting a scene and processing the image for viewing and/or printing. Nowadays, I see a color, pattern, or other detail and grab the phone to gather the raw materials for creating abstract works of art. I haven't kicked the big camera to the curb. Sometimes I like walking unpaved and unexplored roads.
“All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art.”
—Jorge Luis Borges
I wonder where the engineers of this dam sourced it's stone from? There is an abundance along the banks as well as under the lake itself.
The raw material for the nests on the island rookery of the Delores Fenwick Nature Center in Pearland, Texas, come from this wood pile across the pond. Birds (all kinds) fly regularly across the pond to gather sticks (making for BIF opportunities).
To make a collage, I hope. To be fair, if I ever tried to create one it would most likely look like a dog's dinner and end up in the bin, even though my mind had imagined a work of art. :)
For this week's Macro Mondays theme, Mediums. The paper flower is under ¾" across at its widest point.
"Everyone holds his fortune in his own hands, like a sculptor the raw material he will fashion into a figure."
― Goethe
Hello you lovely people! ♡
I feel incredibly honored to blog about Maru Kado, Dura and Fakeicon today. First of all, I want to give a huge "THANK YOU!" to u10 for passing me his animesh Oni! They're amaziingggg! I had so much fun playing around with these. I am truly amazed by his work and very much looking forward to his next release. Big time fan o3o/
Thank you, Chiaki for passing me the new release of the Dura hair! She is so kind and talented. As always she did an amazing job with the new hair that was inspired by Andrej Pejic. Every time I think "Wow, it can't get any better than this. This is my favorite hair!" suddenly - BOOM - a new Dura hair appears and it's even more amazing than the previous release! How you do that Chikai sensei?!
Also I want to thank Titzuki for being an overall amazing person and the king of fabulousness (yes, that's totally a word) who is so kind and fun to talk with! I love your new shirt! The texture options are amazing! Dayuuum, this rocks!
Last but not least: Thank you Lucien, for taking part in this picture and for bearing with me! It means a lot to me :) Thank you for staying with me all that time, being patient with me and supporting me all along. It was so much fun to take this picture with you and I really enjoyed editing your floofy hair, making it all FLOOF! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° You are such a sweet, kind, understanding, amazing and kawaii person. Never forget that o/ Be proud of yourself. I am really bad at saying cute things but ... I really dislike hugs but I'd hug you any time! (.❛ ᴗ ❛.) ♡
And this one is for you: Thank you for looking at my picture ♡
~
Don't wait for good things to come your way. Go out there and grab any chance whenever you see one. Get those lemons together with some salt and tequila and enjoy it with your friends - or maybe make lemonade out of it instead or bake a lemon cake. Use it to make something good! Make a change. Your life is in your own hands. If you fall, don't just lay down and wait for someone to lend you a hand. Get up and keep walking your path! You are strong, you are amazing and talented. Be bold, because you are beautiful on the inside and outside. You hold your fate in your own hands. We are all like carbon. Carbon is everywhere. Sometimes you might think that it's nothing special but add pressure and heat and it'll turn into a Diamond.
~
- Credits -
on Lucien:
Hair: Raven Bell - Kyle Hair @TMD
Shirt: FAKEICON - retro tucked tee @TMD
Shoes: [Vale Koer] - Reference
Kneepads: .miss chelsea. Remy Kneepads
Garters: [Cynful] - Lucid Dream - Garter + Fishnets
Arm: [omnis] - BlackWidow
Tail: :[Plastik]: - Araxxis Tail
Lantern: kotte - yuan xiao - lotus lantern
on Hikaru:
Cookies: Pacagaia - Fortune Cookie
Shirt: FAKEICON - retro tucked tee @TMD
Coat: FAKEICON - shoulder fur
Shoes: FAKEICON - stomp shoes
Shirt around waist: AITUI - My Sweats @TMD
Pants: SEUL - Hedi Bikers
Septum: -[TWC]- - Gear Septum Gold @TMD
Body Scars: -[TWC]- - Bad Dog @TMD
Gloves: //Ascend// - Trevor Bento Glove
Flowers: {-Maru Kado-} - TSUBAKI
Mask: Caboodle - Zenko Kitsune Mask
Pocky: +Somali+ - Typer
Bandaids: -MUSU- - Bandaids Upper Face
Necklace 1: Clemmm - Clingy Stringy Choker
Necklace 2: [MANDALA] - OKAKI necklace
Tail: :[Plastik]: - Araxxis Tail
Horns: {aii} - Fleshy Basic Horns
Decoration:
Oni: {-Maru Kado-} - ONI-Oyabun BLACK-B & Yellow @TMD
Lanterns: +Half-Deer+ - Batwing Lantern
Neon signs: OLQINU - cyber survivor - neon sign - lost city
Backdrop: SEUL - Graphic Corner - Graffiti Backdrop
Bench: Soy. - CSC - Promotional bench
Vending Machine1: Soy. - CSC - Vending machine [Hot noodle]
Vending Machine2: Soy. - CSC - Vending machine [Udon]
Trash Bin: Soy. - CSC - Full of Trash box
Noodles: Soy. - CSC - Hot noodle [decor]
Flying paper: Kalopsia - Flying Paper
Poses made with the Animare HUD PLUS
A restored pottery works (or 'potbank' as they are called locally in the Potteries area of North Staffordshire) with a bottle oven in the range built in 1860 and recently renovated and converted into affordable housing. In 1842 Captain John Buller and Mr J.Devett purchased a pottery works in Devon and started in business as the Bovey Tracy Pottery Company. Using Cornish clay and coal from Staffordshire they produced a wide range of ware including bed knobs and door furniture. As the business grew, it suffered increasingly from the cost of transporting coal to Devon so the owners decided to move the company to Staffordshire to be close to raw materials sources. In 1862 W.W.Buller & Co were operating the Joiners Square, Hanley pottery works and were one of the first companies to explore the new markets created by electrical power. By the 1880's they were supplying porcelain insulators and associated iron fittings in large quantities for lucrative government contracts and exporting to Australia, Africa, India, Canada and Europe. In 1885 Bullers purchased the metal foundry of Jobson Bros of Tipton, Staffordshire and the company was renamed Bullers Ltd following incorporation in 1890. The business continued to expand and the Hanley site became inadequate so in 1917 a new factory was built at Milton on the Leek Road, at that time in open countryside. In 1959 Bullers Ltd and Taylor, Tunnicliff amalgamated to form Allied Insulators Ltd., a company which is still in business today operating from the Albion Works adjacent to the Gladstone Pottery Museum, Longton (see www.flickr.com/photos/nigelphoto2011/52783316863/ ). The Joiners Square factory was taken over by the Wedgwood Group for a period in the 1970's but had been vacant and in a state of derelicton for some time when in 1999 extensive restoration work was undertaken by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and converted into apartments. The building now provides eight low-rent units, a part of the Imperial Court Residential Complex operated by Stoke-on-Trent Housing Association. A positive outcome for a Grade II listed potbank of historical importance, saved for the future and providing much needed affordable housing. 'RoidWeek Spring 2023 Day 2. Taken with a 1976 Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera Alpha 1 on Polaroid (TIP) film
Kittilä, Lapland, Finland
After spending a week in the mountain range of Finnish Lapland, I am back to my desk. This is the first photo I developed from my abundant raw materials.
The Youngstown Belt crew is returning from their trip to serve customers at Warren. Here they pass the old Pennsylvania RR coaling tower at Girard. Two tracks once passed under each arch of the coaling tower and one passing outside of each arch. It was built in 1922. The leaning steelwork to the left has fallen but once stood straight up and was part of the conveyor system transporting coal to the top of the structure.
The Pennsy, B&O and EL all had parallel lines through here and up the Mahoning River Valley. They served a burgeoning steel making industry that today is but a very small fraction of what it once was. With no access to cheaper water transport of raw materials, the steel makers here were victim of higher transportation costs.
Inside a lime kiln, Östra Torp - Sweden
- A lime kiln is an oven in which a calcium carbonate (CaCO3) -containing raw material (shells or limestone) is burned, causing quick lime (CaO).
DE: Re 620 014-1 "Meilen" SBB Cargo mit Güterzug 47848 von Buchs nach Visp aufgenommen in der langgezogenen Wynigen Kurve kurz vor Burgdorf. Die speziellen Container von Bernegger GmbH für mineralische Rohstoffe sind leer und führen ab Visp vom Gelände der Chemiefirma Lonza AG kontaminiertes Erdreich zur Entsorgung ab.
EN: Re 620 014-1 "Meilen" SBB Cargo with freight train 47848 from Buchs to Visp, taken in the long Wynigen curve just before Burgdorf. The special Bernegger GmbH containers for mineral raw materials are empty and carry on the way back contaminated ground soil from the chemical company Lonza AG in Visp.
This thatched cottage alongside the Great Western Canal in Tiverton, Devon dates from around the 17th century. The house name Is a reference to the fact there were 14 lime kilns in the nearby canal basin which were used for the production of quicklime in the early 19th century. The raw materials arrived by canal and the finished product left the same way.
Today the house is a private residence but as the sign in the front garden indicates there is a tea room and garden alongside. The gardens were lovely and, as it was a warm sunny day and we were in Devon, we felt obligated to have a cream tea and coffee outside. The cream tea was gorgeous and my cappuccino was probably the best I have ever had – and I’ve had a lot over the years!
Lime Kiln Cottage is a grade 2 listed building which gives it legal protection from demolition or major alteration without prior permission from the local authority.
The raw material for the production of ethyl alcohol (almost 92% by volume) for moonshine, which is in the bottle in the photo, is sugar. In this case, the term "moonshine" refers only to the place and production technology - it is a strong alcoholic drink made at home in a distillation unit, which, in this case, is equipped with modern measuring technical means.
Drink 40% (volume units). made from a solution of ethyl alcohol and highly purified water.
Bottle, label and metal threaded bottle cap - purchased separately.
Сировиною для виготовлення етилового спирту (майже 92% об'ємних одиниць) для самогонки, що в пляшці на світлині, є цукор. В даному випадку термін «самогонка» відноситься лише до місця та технології виготовлення - це міцний алкогольний напій, виготовлений в домашніх умовах на дистиляційній установці, яка обладнана сучасними вимірювальними та технічними засобами контролю.
Напій 40% (об'ємних одиниць) є розчином етилового спирту та води високого ступеню фільтрації.
Пляшка, етикетка та металева різьбова кришка для пляшки - куплені окремо.
Промоутери напоїв за держцінами поширюють думку що без застосування спеціальних технологій у домашніх умовах шкідливі речовини, які все ще залишаються після дистиляції, неможливо видалити із напоїв. Тому нібито рекомендується вживати лише ті міцні напої, які виготовлені промисловим способом.
Excerpt from thebuddhistgarden.com/places-of-interest-%e5%af%ba%e9%99%...:
South Platform Manjusri Bodhisattva
南臺智慧文殊菩薩
Consecration Ceremony 開光 : 2019-10-05
Statue Net Height 銅像淨高度 : 9.99米
Platform Overall Height 含臺總高度 : 13米
Raw Material 原材料 : Bronze 青銅
Statue Surface 銅像表面 : Gilding 貼金箔
Made In 原產地 : China 中國
Transportation : By sea over a month 超過一個月的海上運輸
Cargos 貨運 : 6 containers 6 個貨櫃
Delivered On 運抵日期 : 2017-3-29
From design to complete installation 設計至圓滿安座 : over 5 years 五年多
Assembly Artisans From China 中國組裝技師 : 16
Donor 捐贈者 : Venerable Master Miao Jiang from Mount Wutai in China 中國五台山妙江長老
Cost Contributor 捐資者 : Chamshan's long-term patron, Mr. Huang Chu Long 湛山大護法黃楚龍
5 Statues Cost 五尊銅像總費用 : about 15.6 million RMB 约1,560萬人民幣
1 Statue Cost 一尊銅像費用 : about 3.1 million RMB 约310萬人民幣
Foundation and Platform Cost： open for donation 歡迎捐款支助
Offering to the South Platform Manjusri Bodhisattva : Success in all endeavors, in harmony with others, with no obstructions in work and business.
供奉南臺智慧文殊師利菩薩功德利益 : 諸事順利，與人和睦，凡做事有障礙者，可保工作、事業順利。
Excerpt from thebuddhistgarden.com/places-of-interest-%e5%af%ba%e9%99%...:
Eighty-Eight Buddha Surrounding the Southern Platform
八十八座佛塔繞南台
The South Platform is dedicated to the wisdom Manjushri Bodhisattva. Around the South Platform, numerous Buddha stupas stand tall, creating a magnificent landscape. Can you count how many stupas there are? There are a total of precisely eighty-eight stupas, a highly auspicious number.
So, why are there eighty-eight stupas on the South Platform? What special significance do these stupas hold?
In fact, the benefactors who initiated the construction of these stupas were among the first to donate to the establishment of Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada. Back then, Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden was nothing more than vast, untamed mountains and wilderness, devoid of any development. The merit of these benefactors, centred around their unwavering trust in Venerable Dayi, led them to decisively donate these stupas. With the merit generated by these eighty-eight stupas, Venerable Dayi was finally able to gather the initial funds needed to start the construction of the monastery.
As time has passed, many of the donors of these stupas have already passed away. Venerable Dayi is deeply grateful to these dedicated benefactors who made great aspirations. Therefore, he made a vow that, during the inauguration of Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden, every donor of the eighty-eight stupas would be invited before the stupa they donated, allowing them to witness the tremendous contribution they made and to express gratitude towards them.
What is special about the design of these eighty-eight stupas? All of the eighty-eight stupas are seven-tiered structures, standing at around 3 meters in height, commonly referred to as "seven-tiered pagodas." The bottom three tiers are hexagonal bases adorned with lotus relief carvings on all sides. On the front, there are inscriptions of the eighty-eight Buddhas' names and the names of the donors who contributed to the stupa. Above that is the upward-reaching lotus section, followed by tiers that recede like stairs, leading up to the bell-shaped stupa body. Within each tier, there are niches enshrining the images of the eighty-eight Buddhas, symbolizing the heart of the Buddha. The stupa finial, representing the Buddha's head, is composed of seven levels of discs and a jewel, creating a profound symbolism that captures the essence of Buddhism. These stupas are exquisitely carved, uniquely creative, and meticulously structured, making them masterpieces of ancient stupas.
In Buddhism, the Eighty-Eight Buddhas are comprised of the Fifty-Three Past Buddhas and the Thirty-Five Present Buddhas. The names of the Fifty-Three Past Buddhas can be found in the " Sutra Spoken by the Buddha on Visualizing the Two Bodhisattvas Bhaisajyarāja and Bhaisajyasamudgata," while the Thirty-Five Present Buddhas are mentioned in the " Sutra Spoken by the Buddha on the Inquiry of Upali Regarding Determination of the Vinaya." These Eighty-Eight Buddhas can serve as objects of confession and purification for sentient beings. Therefore, people can turn to them with repentant hearts, expressing their desire to mend their ways.
The "Sutra of Circumambulating the Stupa for Merit on the Right" states: "All heavenly dragons, yakshas, spirits, and others draw close and make offerings when one circumambulates to the right of the stupa." Circumambulating stupas enables all sentient beings to be free from descending into unfortunate realms, allowing them to encounter the Dharma and be shielded from harm. Pilgrims who come to the Eighty-Eight Buddha Stupas on the South Platform can walk around them with joined palms, concentrating their minds, leaving behind afflictions, freeing their spirits, and ultimately achieving supreme enlightenment. This is akin to what is expressed in the "Lotus Sutra": "If a person with scattered mind enters a stupa or a temple, and even utters the name 'Namo Buddha,' they have already achieved the path of Buddhahood!"
This is the story of the South Platform and the Eighty-Eight Buddhas.
南台是智慧文殊師利菩薩。在南台的周圍有許多佛塔林立，風景壯闊，大家可以數一下看看有多少座呢？一共有不多不少整八十八座佛塔。非常吉利的數字。
那麼，南台為什麼是八十八座佛塔呢？這批佛塔又有什麼特殊的意義呢？
其實這批佛塔的功德主都是最早捐建五台山的人。當初，加國五台山還是一望無際的荒山野嶺，除了荒山之外什麼都沒有。南台的這些功德主憑著對達義大和尚的充分信任，他們果斷地捐了這些塔。因為有了這八十八座佛塔的功德金，達義大和尚終於籌集了開山建寺的第一筆啟動資金。
時光荏苒，現在這些塔的捐贈者，其中有很多人已經往生了。達義大和尚特別感恩這些發大願心的功德主，所以大和尚發了一個願，五台山開園之際一定要讓每一位八十八佛塔的捐贈者都來到他們捐贈的佛塔面前，讓他們看到當年他們所做的巨大貢獻，以此來感恩他們。
八十八佛塔的造型設計有什麼特別之處呢？我們所看到的八十八佛塔都是七個層級，高度在3公尺左右，即世稱的「七級浮屠」。最下三層為六角形基座；基座上四面飾以蓮花浮雕；正前方為八十八佛尊號銘文，以及捐建佛塔功德主的芳名；再上為仰蓮；腰部以上逐層收分如階梯，上覆缽形塔腹，中設有龕門，供奉八十八佛尊像，象徵佛的心臟部位；而塔剎象徵著佛的頭部，塔頂上面由七級相輪和寶珠剎組成，巨大的塔身蘊含著深厚的佛教內涵，佛塔雕刻精湛，獨具匠心，結構嚴謹，為古塔之精品！
佛教中的八十八佛是五十三佛加三十五佛。五十三佛名見《觀藥王藥上二菩薩經》，是娑婆世界的過去佛；三十五佛出自《決定毘尼經》，是現在十方世界中佛。這八十八佛都可以為眾生作懺悔主，因此，人們可以向他們申述自己改悔過惡的願望。
《右繞佛塔功德經》雲：「一切諸天龍，夜叉鬼神等，皆親近供養，斯由右繞塔。」繞行佛塔能使諸天龍免於墮惡趣中，得以值遇佛法，所有眾生悉不能害。朝聖至南台八十八佛塔，同修們可合掌繞行佛塔，止心一處，拋開煩惱，釋放心靈，乃至成就無上正覺。這如同《法華經》中所說：若人散亂心，入於塔廟中；一稱南無佛，皆已成佛道 ！
Another archive shot from 2008 on my first ever digital camera and a visit to one of the many mining sites to be found in Cornwall - once one of the most highly industrialised areas of Britain .
Along with The Crowns at Boallack , the Towenroath Shaft Engine House is one of the most photographed enginehouses of the mining areas of Cornwall .
Perched half way down the cliff , it is quite a sight to see .
Wheal Coates tin mine opened in 1802 and worked until 1889. The image of the Towanroath Shaft engine house, famous on postcards, calendars, and on the telly represents for many the serene beauty of the north Cornish coast. In reality this industrial landscape holds a harsh and austere history.
The life of a Cornish miner was tough.
Working deep underground in cramped and stifling conditions meant that miners were thought of as worn out and old by the time they were 40. The air in the mine was thick with powder smoke, dust and fumes from rock blasting that miners often coughed up black phlegm. Many suffered with bronchitis, silicosis, TB and rheumatism. Accidents caused by explosions, falling, rock falls, drowning and entanglement in machinery were a real danger and took many lives.
Woman were employed as Bal maidens, wielding hammers and crushing copper ore into smaller fragments. By the early nineteenth century over 7000 children were working in Cornish mines, initially above ground doing menial tasks, but when they were twelve they joined their fathers underground.
At its peak Cornish mining employed upwards of 30,000 people. In the mid nineteenth century the industry began to decline, and in 1875 over 10,000 miners left Cornwall to find work overseas. The skills and experience of Cornish mining spread across the world. They also took the pasty with them.
There are over 160 places, across six continents, where Cornish mine workers took their skills, technology and traditions; a truly global heritage. Cornwall and west Devon’s mining landscape, shaped during a period of intense industrial activity, is testimony to one of the greatest periods of economic, technological and social development Britain has ever known.
From 1700 to 1914, the metal mining industry played a vital role in transforming our way of life. It provided essential raw materials to feed the Industrial Revolution in Britain, and pioneered technological developments that helped shape the society we live in today. For example, Richard Trevithick’s advances in steam engine technology – originally motivated by the need to pump water out of mines – ultimately enabled the development of steam trains, changing the world forever through the mass movement of people and goods.
World Heritage
On 13 July 2006 select mining landscapes across Cornwall and West Devon were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, placing Cornish mining heritage on a par with international treasures like Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.
Raw material for a CD-cover (not used). The instrument is an Euphonium (haven't been aware of its existence :-) ). The Chamäleon has something to do with the style of the music, otherwise the picture would be complete nonsense :-)
This is a combination of a few ideas I had last year. I'd sorta given up on the half-drum + jet canopy idea because I wasn't sure how I was going to resolve the rear end. The other day when building with my son I noticed that big orange bucket laying there and everything sort of fell into place.
At the ropery of the Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem, people still create rope the old fashioned way. Using a rope walk, twined fiber from natural hemp or sisal fibers are combined to an all natural and extremely strong rope.
Depending on the length and thickness of the rope, working at the ropery was hard work! Just imagine having to create a 200m ship line!
Darabgerd, Darab, Iran.
The historical town of Darabgerd, which is located six km to the south of Darab in Fars Province, was among a handful of towns in Pars Province during the Achemenid Empire.
Although Darabgerd, which means the land of Darius, was not the only town founded by Darius I, it might have been the first namesake circular structure built by the third king of the Achemenid Empire.
The salt dome of Darabgerd which is surrounded by a round wall and stands at the heart of the vast, green plain of Darab was at the center of the ancient town. Today, it is an unrivaled tourist attraction in Fars Province.
Around the historical town, there is a huge conical wall constructed of clay, stones and lime. The wall which was originally over 10 m in height is now about seven meters high because of erosion.
However, the sticky raw material used in the construction of the wall has minimized damage by erosion and helped it stand firmly for more than 2,000 years.