Vila Wolf's Dyslexic Folklorist Ranting

17th century representation of a family tree in this German manuscript

“Full-page miniature of Abraham lifting his knife upon Isaac and being stopped by an angel who is pointing to the substitute offering for Isaac, the ram stuck in the bush.”, The Northern French Miscellany, f. 521v by “the Cholet Group, Master of Méliacin group and Master of Honoré groups”, France c. 1277-1286 via The British Library, Public Domain

Typology of 15th-18th Century Decorative Bowls

Top row: Marbled glass, fish-scale pattern, blue coppa Middle row: Imari porcelain, blue and white porcelain, floral-pattern porcelain Bottom row: Flora and Zephyr, Austrian gray glass, Gilded porcelain 

“Medieval folding almanac”, ca. 15th century via Wellcome Library on Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

“Psalterium Caroli Calvi [Psautier de Charles le Chauve]”, f. 42r, by École du palais de Charles le Chauve c. 842-869 via Bibliothèque nationale de France, Public Domain (France)

“The Physician’s Handbook: English medical and astrological compendium”, ca. 1454 via Wellcome Library on Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

“Medieval folding almanac”, ca. 15th century via Wellcome Library on Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

“Contains a calendar and astrological tables and diagrams, including lunar and solar eclipses.” - Wellcome Library

An Ostrich, Ms. Ludwig XV 4 by unknown creator, Franco-Flemish, ca. 1277 via J. Paul Getty Museum on Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain (United States)

Decorated Initial S, Ms. Ludwig XV 4 by unknown creator, Franco-Flemish, ca. 1277 via J. Paul Getty Museum on Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain (United States)

Gradual (Volume 2, folio 1v) by Don Simone Camaldolese, ca. 1390 via Web Gallery of Art on Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain (United States)

Detail of "Page with Chi Rho monogram from the Gospel of Matthew in the Lindisfarne Gospels.“ by Eadfrith, c. 700 via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

David in Prayer by Master of Guillebert de Mets, Belgium ca. 1450 via J. Paul Getty Museum on Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

“Opening page of text with border decoration” by unknown creator, France ca. 15th century via The New York Public Library Digital Collections, No Known Copyright Restrictions (United States)

Taddeo Bible of Borso d'Este by Taddeo Crivelli, Modena, Italy c. ca. 1455-1461 via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

Fath Ali Shah (1834-1772 AD)

Fat′h Ali Shah was the son of Hossein Qoli Khan Qajar, brother of Agha Mohammad Khan. He was governor of Fars when his uncle was assassinated in 1797. Fat′h Ali shah’s real name was “Bābā Khān" but he was crowned as Fat′h Ali Shah. He became suspicious of his chancellor Hajji Ebrahim Khan Kalantar and ordered his execution. Hajji Ebrahim Khan had been chancellor to Zand and Qajar rulers for some fifteen years.

Much of his reign was marked by the resurgence of Persian arts and painting, as well as a deeply elaborate court culture with extremely rigid etiquette. In particular during his reign, portraiture and large-scale oil painting reached a height previously unknown under any other Islamic dynasty, largely due to his personal patronage.

Fat′h Ali also ordered the creation of much royal regalia, including coronations chairs, “Takht-e-Tâvoos" (Persian: تخت طاووس‎) or Peacock throne and “Takht-e-Nāderī" (Persian: تخت نادری‎) or Naderi throne, which was also used by later kings, and the “Tāj-i-Kīyānī" (Persian: تاج كيانى‎), or Kiani Crown, a modification of the crown of the same name created by his uncle Agha Mohammad Khan. This, like most of his regalia, was studded with a large number of pearls and gems.

In 1797, he was given a complete set of the Britannica’s 3rd edition, which he read completely; after this feat, he extended his royal title to include “Most Formidable Lord and Master of the Encyclopædia Britannica."[1]

Growing Your Own Bridge

For more than 500 years, locals living deep in the rainforests in the village of Nongriat, India have guided vines and roots to stretch horizontally across rivers and streams to make living bridges. The natural bridges are much sturdier than conventional wooden bridges because they are still living so they do not rot.

The ‘double decker’ living tree root bridge is made from the their native rubber tree (Ficus elastica). When the roots and vines reach the opposite side of the river bank, they are allowed to take root. The vines create a sold latticework structure strong enough to support the weight of over 50 people. Some of the bridges are over a hundred feet long and can take up to fifteen years to grow. And because the growing bridges are still alive, they actually get stronger over time.