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Sep. 11th, 2007
New project
Sep. 11th, 2007 09:31 pmI had almost forgotten about this genius idea I had back in April. Almost. Then I remembered it a day or two ago.
I spent this afternoon after work turning 1/32" x 3" x 24" basswood strips into 1/32" x 5/8" x 16" strips. I ended up with about 55. I may pick up a couple of more basswood slats tomorrow just to make sure I have enough, because you KNOW I'll split a couple when I start piercing them for threading. I learned my lesson on the one I made for Twelfth Night - take the time and pierce each one separately with an awl instead of trying to clamp them all together and use a drill. The darn things skated apart under pressure and I ended up with uneven holes.
Japan's Miho Museum has an extant hiogi dating from the 14-15th century or so. Details show that it was decorated with glitter and that the pivot joint was made of knotted silk. If I get pressed for time and end up not painting it, well, unpainted hiogi were for men - and are still used ceremonially by Shinto clerics.
In semi-related news, one of the guys at work has an Asian pear tree in his back yard. I brought home a few of the less ripe ones he brought in and tucked them in the veggie crisper in my fridge. I'm thinking slices arranged to represent a chrysanthemum would make a pretty dish for the party at the House Of Cheerful Monkeys.
I spent this afternoon after work turning 1/32" x 3" x 24" basswood strips into 1/32" x 5/8" x 16" strips. I ended up with about 55. I may pick up a couple of more basswood slats tomorrow just to make sure I have enough, because you KNOW I'll split a couple when I start piercing them for threading. I learned my lesson on the one I made for Twelfth Night - take the time and pierce each one separately with an awl instead of trying to clamp them all together and use a drill. The darn things skated apart under pressure and I ended up with uneven holes.
Japan's Miho Museum has an extant hiogi dating from the 14-15th century or so. Details show that it was decorated with glitter and that the pivot joint was made of knotted silk. If I get pressed for time and end up not painting it, well, unpainted hiogi were for men - and are still used ceremonially by Shinto clerics.
In semi-related news, one of the guys at work has an Asian pear tree in his back yard. I brought home a few of the less ripe ones he brought in and tucked them in the veggie crisper in my fridge. I'm thinking slices arranged to represent a chrysanthemum would make a pretty dish for the party at the House Of Cheerful Monkeys.