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Wind Chime
Wind chimes are a type of percussion instrument constructed from suspended tubes, rods, bells, or other objects that are often made of metal or wood. The tubes or rods are suspended along with some type of weight or surface which the tubes or rods can strike when they or another wind-catching surface are blown by the natural movement of air outside. They are usually hung outside of a building or residence as a visual and aural garden ornament. Since the percussion instruments are struck according to the random effects of the wind blowing the chimes, wind chimes have been considered an example of chance-based music. The tubes or rods may sound either indistinct pitches, or fairly distinct pitches. Wind chimes that sound fairly distinct pitches can, through the chance movement of air, create simple songs or broken chords. __TOC__ History Ancient Rome Ancient Roman wind chimes, usually made of bronze, were called '' tintinnabula'' and were hung in gardens, courtyards, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tintinnabulum (Ancient Rome)
In ancient Rome, a ''tintinnabulum'' (less often ''tintinnum'') was a wind chime or assemblage of bells. A ''tintinnabulum'' often took the form of a bronze '' ithyphallic'' figure or of a '' fascinum'', a magico-religious phallus thought to ward off the evil eye and bring good fortune and prosperity. A ''tintinnabulum'' acted as a door amulet. These were hung near thresholds at a shop or house, under the peristyles (around the inner courtyard or garden) by the bedroom, or the '' venereum'', where the wind would cause them to tinkle. They were also made to ring like doorbells, a series of them being tied to cord attached to a bell pull. The sounds of bells were believed to keep away evil spirits; compare the apotropaic role of the bell in the " bell, book, and candle" ritual of the earlier Catholic Church. It has also been surmised that '' oscilla'' hung on hooks along colonnaded porticoes may have comparable evil-warding intents. Hand-bells have been found in sanctuari ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amulet
An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word , which Pliny's ''Natural History'' describes as "an object that protects a person from trouble". Anything can function as an amulet; items commonly so used include statues, coins, drawings, plant parts, animal parts, and written words. Amulets which are said to derive their extraordinary properties and powers from magic or those which impart luck are typically part of folk religion or paganism, whereas amulets or Sacramental, sacred objects of Organized religion, formalised mainstream religion as in Christianity are believed to have no power of their own without faith in Jesus and being blessing, blessed by a clergyman, and they supposedly will also not provide any preternatural benefit to the bearer who does not have an Disposition#Religion, appropriate disposition. Talisman and amulets have interchangeable meanings. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metal Casting
In metalworking and jewelry making, casting is a process in which a liquid metal is delivered into a mold (usually by a crucible) that contains a negative impression (i.e., a three-dimensional negative image) of the intended shape. The metal is poured into the mold through a hollow channel called a sprue. The metal and mold are then cooled, and the metal part (the ''casting'') is extracted. Casting is most often used for making complex shapes that would be difficult or uneconomical to make by other methods. Casting processes have been known for thousands of years, and have been widely used for sculpture (especially in bronze), jewelry in precious metals, and weapons and tools. Highly engineered castings are found in 90 percent of durable goods, including cars, trucks, aerospace, trains, mining and construction equipment, oil wells, appliances, pipes, hydrants, wind turbines, nuclear plants, medical devices, defense products, toys, and more. Traditional techniques include los ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Feng Shui
Feng shui ( or ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term ''feng shui'' means, literally, "wind-water" (i.e., fluid). From ancient times, Landscape, landscapes and bodies of water were thought to direct the flow of the universal qi – "cosmic current" or energy – through places and structures. More broadly, feng shui includes astronomical, astrological, architectural, cosmological, geographical, and topographical dimensions. Historically, as well as in many parts of the contemporary Chinese world, feng shui was used to choose the orientation of buildings, dwellings, and spiritually significant structures such as tombs. One scholar writes that in Western culture, contemporary Western societies, however, "feng shui tends to be reduced to interior design for health and wealth. It has become increasingly visible th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
100 Soundscapes Of Japan
The are a number of noises selected by the Ministry of the Environment (Japan), Ministry of the Environment as particularly representative of the country. They were chosen in 1996, as part of government efforts to combat noise pollution and to protect and promote protection of the Environment of Japan, environment. There were 738 submissions received from all over the country and the 100 "best" were selected after examination by the Japan Soundscape Study Group. These soundscapes are intended to function as symbols for local people and to promote the rediscovery of the sounds of everyday life. The follow-up Sixth National Assembly on Soundscape Conservation was held in Matsuyama in 2002. See also * Soundscape ecology * Ecoacoustics * Biophony * World Soundscape Project * 100 Landscapes of Japan (Heisei era) References External links * {{in lang, ja}Ministry of the Environment - 100 Soundscapes of Japan*100 Soundscapes of Japan - List in English with map (6G) Culture of Jap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mizusawa Station
Wind chimes at the Mizusawa Station platform is a railway station in the city of Ōshū, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Lines Mizusawa Station is served by the Tōhoku Main Line, and is located from the starting point of the line at Tokyo Station. Station layout The station has an island platform and a single side platform, connected to the station building by a footbridge. The station is staffed and has a ''Midori no Madoguchi'' staffed ticket office. The station is noted for the numerous ''nambu fūrin'' (Japanese wind chimes), and the station is listed as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. Platforms History Mizusawa station opened on 1 November 1890. The station was absorbed into the JR East network upon the privatization of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 1 April 1987. Passenger statistics In fiscal 2018, the station was used by an average of 1,859 passengers daily (boarding passengers only). Surrounding area ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edo Period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characterized by prolonged peace and stability, urbanization and economic growth, strict social order, Isolationism, isolationist foreign policies, and popular enjoyment of Japanese art, arts and Culture of Japan, culture. In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu prevailed at the Battle of Sekigahara and established hegemony over most of Japan, and in 1603 was given the title ''shogun'' by Emperor Go-Yōzei. Ieyasu resigned two years later in favor of his son Tokugawa Hidetada, Hidetada, but maintained power, and defeated the primary rival to his authority, Toyotomi Hideyori, at the Siege of Osaka in 1615 before his death the next year. Peace generally prevailed from this point on, making samurai largely redundant. Tokugawa sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fūrin
A is a small, bowl-shaped Japanese wind chime typically hung during the summer. A piece of paper called ''tanzaku'' (短冊) is usually hung from each ''fūrin'' to cause it to ring even with just a slight breeze. The sound of the ''fūrin'' and the sight of the paper blowing in the wind are seen by many Japanese people as having a cooling effect during the hot Japanese summer. History The origins of ''fūrin'' are believed to be from the Chinese Tang Dynasty when metal wind chimes were hung in bamboo forests and used to tell fortunes. The word ''fūrin'' was first used in Japan during the Heian period when they were hung from eaves, particularly at Buddhist temples, as talismans to ward off evil spirits. They can still be found at many shrines and temples in Japan. Glass ''fūrin'' were first made during the late Edo period. Glass is the most popular material used for ''fūrin'' in modern Japan and these glass ''fūrin'' are referred to as ''Edo Fūrin'' (江戸風鈴). I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and List of islands of Japan, thousands of smaller islands, covering . Japan has a population of over 123 million as of 2025, making it the List of countries and dependencies by population, eleventh-most populous country. The capital of Japan and List of cities in Japan, its largest city is Tokyo; the Greater Tokyo Area is the List of largest cities, largest metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37 million inhabitants as of 2024. Japan is divided into 47 Prefectures of Japan, administrative prefectures and List of regions of Japan, eight traditional regions. About three-quarters of Geography of Japan, the countr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pagoda
A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but sometimes Taoist or Hindu, and were often located in or near viharas. The pagoda traces its origins to the stupa, while its design was developed in ancient India. Chinese pagodas () are a traditional part of Chinese architecture. In addition to religious use, since ancient times Chinese pagodas have been praised for the spectacular views they offer, and many classical poems attest to the joy of scaling pagodas. The oldest and tallest pagodas were built of wood, but most that survived were built of brick or stone. Some pagodas are solid with no interior. Hollow pagodas have no higher floors or rooms, but the interior often contains an altar or a smaller pagoda, as well as a series of staircases for the visitor to climb to see the view from a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
