#symmetry (via http://marianajsf.tumblr.com/)
Category Archives: archery
wood working
7 January, 2015
“The Ahrensburg culture or Ahrensburgian (11th to 10th millennia BCE) was a late Upper Paleolithic nomadic hunter culture in north-central Europe during the the last spell of cold at the end of the Weichsel glaciation, resulting in deforestation and the formation of a tundra with bushy arctic white birch and rowan. The most important prey was the wild reindeer. The earliest definite finds of arrow and bow date to this culture, though these weapons might have been invented earlier. “ More here. A perfect demonstration of the capacity of human beings for finding elegant technical solutions. It’s extraordinary what you can do when your survival depends on it.
why they win pt. 253
4 January, 2015
On New Year’s Day, the KAA reported that they had sent the entire recurve squad hiking up Mount Bulam-san in northeastern Seoul, before dawn, accompanied by the training staff. The slightly breathless journalist who accompanied this onerous publicity stunt said:
“Our National Archery Team started off the new year with a hike up Mount Bulam-san a symbol of their resolution and dedication as the world’s best. Reporter Jung Chan Lee accompanied them…. At the dawn of 2015, the archery team were the first ones up and about in the Taerung (the Korean National Training Center). After layering up for the cold (-12ºC /10ºF) at 5:30 AM, they started out in a strong gait towards Mount Bulam-san, shouting “Fighting!”.
After an hour of hiking passed, sweat drops began to form on their faces despite the frigid winds that slapped against them. “The water’s frozen,” they exclaimed.
Soon, the sky begins to light up, as does the countenances of the archery team. They have finally reached the top.
But the happiness was not to last for long as they quickly realized that there was no place to hide from the freezing winds at the top of the mountain. Such is their current stature in archery: fierce winds of rivalry storm towards them, as is the fate of those at the top of the world rankings.
Oh Jin-Hyuk said: “It is difficult to advance further when you stand at the top, but I believe that everything will turn out for the best.”
Chang Hye Jin said: “With your support and love, we will strive to defend our title as the world’s best.”
The National Team declared their year’s resolution, as they enter the world championships to compete for entry to the 2016 Olympics in Rio, in one voice: “ARCHERY IS FUN!”
They say that those who enjoy what they do can’t be beat; the national archery team resolved to the first sunrise with a joyful heart that they will protect their position at the top.”
(via Chosun TV). Thanks to Grace Kim for translation. Watch it here:
http://news.tvchosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/01/01/2015010190225.html
girls with bows: part 47
3 January, 2015
Yoon Ji-Hye as Ma-hyang in Kundo: Age Of The Rampant, available now on DVD.
The plot? Robin Hood via a spaghetti western transported to the Joseon Dynasty. There’s actually not a whole ton of kick-ass archery, but if you like swashbuckling, morally-grey-area historical action epics you’ll have a blast.
Ming Archery
31 December, 2014
These pictures are from a Chinese scroll dated around 1426-35, depicting entertainments in the Eastern Park of the Imperial Palace, probably under the Xuande Emperor, the fifth of the Ming Dynasty. They show in exquisite detail a group of archers shooting at targets on poles, targets which spun to indicate hits. The archers wear special overskirts to protect their silk robes. Note the soft tips on the arrows – the rest of the scroll, twenty feet long, depicts games similar of football, golf and polo in addition to archery. Note also the recurved (reflex) bows, the beatific smiles, the waiting around, and air of relaxed enjoyment, in what appears to be a head-to-head competition. Some things haven’t changed all that much in 600 years.
These photos are ©The Infinite Curve and were taken at the British Museum exhibition in Dec 2014.
a pointed warning
26 December, 2014
(via George Takei).
heh
21 December, 2014
kyūdō (again)
6 December, 2014
Some really nice clean work from Ms. Stiller (yepyep) over on Flickr, who is a kyūdō practitioner herself. I like the way she has tightened up the framing to really catch the calm before the draw; the potential. The classic image of an archer – for millennia – is at full draw with the bow taut, the person and the weapon poised at the critical moment. Sometimes it’s good to see something else.
tattoos
5 December, 2014
According to click-hungry cultural accumulator Buzzfeed, arrows were one of the tattoos that simply everyone got this year – and it pulled a few pics off Instagram to prove it (below). Archery-based tattoos have been popular for a long time, but the ornate, feathery ‘Indian-style-arrow’ tats, somewhere between an actual weapon and a symbol, do seem to be on the rise.
The arrow, of course, has many different symbolic meanings: from masculine power and warfare, to love, movement and direction – the softened, more feminine designs here seem to indicate that people are projecting the latter. A broken arrow traditionally symbolises peace, and crossed arrows symbolise friendship. Anyway, have a look:
There’s plenty more archery tattoos out there, you can start here and here and here and go from there. Although my friend Eva at my club still has my favourite (below) going round her upper arm – it ends in a stone point. If you’ve got some archery ink, feel free to share.
the ancient art
28 November, 2014
Arrowheads as art installation – neolithic projectile points found in Britain, up on the wall as part of the Jeremy Deller ‘English Magic’ exhibition at Turner Contemporary in Margate on the east coast of England.
There is always something magical about stone tools; the lack of decay means they retain all their form and function even after thousands of years in the ground. These objects don’t fade or wither. They’re still good to go.
Deller uses ‘English Magic’ to explore mysterious acts and ‘magical’ transformations in British society – its people, myths and folklore as well as its broad cultural, socio-political and economic history… the exhibition weaves a mythical narrative through moments and events from Britain’s shared cultural memory, moving back and forth between the past, present and an imagined future.
The exhibition is on till 11th January 2015. If you can, go.
