Picture Day Friday: Oldest Working Clock

The oldest working clock is housed at the Salisbury Cathedral in England.

Johannes Vriemand, Williemus Vriemand, and Johannes Jietuijt from Delft were invited to England by Edward III to construct the clock in c. 1386. The clock was originally set up in a detached bell tower north of the cathedral. When that tower was destroyed, the working clock was moved to the cathedral tower until 1792, at which point it was decommissioned. It was re-discovered in 1929 and moved to the north transept in 1931. However, it was not in a working condition. Finally in 1956, the clock was completely repaired and restored to its original condition by Messrs. John Smith and Co. of Derby along with antiquarian horologists T.R. Robinson and R.P. Howgrave-Graham. The now-working clock was moved to its present location at the triforium level in the south transept.

According to the Salisbury Cathedral notes: "As is usual of the period, the clock has no face, being designed only to strike hours." The clock is a 12-hour clock and has to be wound up every 24 hours. The bell hammer is supposed to be connected to a bell but is disconnected these days due to the noise it makes.


[Image copyrighted by the Salisbury Cathedral.]

Picture Day Friday: Indus Valley Civilization 2

I posted a picture of a toy from the Mohenjodaro Museum HERE and explained a little bit about the Indus Valley Civilization. Here are samples of pottery recovered from one of the sites.

Picture Day Friday: Indus Valley Civilization

Pottery from the Indus Valley Civilization at the Mohenjodaro Museum in the Larkano district of Sindh, Pakistan.

The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization (3300–1300 BCE) located in the northwestern India and Pakistan. It is one of the world's earliest urban civilizations, along with its contemporaries, Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. However, at nearly 487,000 square miles, the Indus Valley is the largest ancient civilization.

Carnelian handicrafts, carved seals, daily items made from copper, bronze, lead, and tin, and so on have been discovered during the excavations of Mohenjodaro and Harappa among other Indus Valley Civilization sites. One of the hallmarks of the civilization are the civic structures: cities built of brick, public baths, roadside drainage systems, and multi-storied houses.



[Image copyrighted by the Mohenjodaro Museum.]

Picture Day Friday: Thari Women

Thari women from Pakistan's Sindh district that's part of the vast Thar desert. Culturally, they're related to India's Rajasthani desert nomads. Religiously, they're very much in the minority with their belief in Hinduism. Dhatki is the main language spoken in the Tharparkar region of Sindh where many of the Thari live.

In complete contrast to the monochromatic desert landscape they live in, the Thari have created a culture that is vibrant, colorful, and full of life. They are the world's premier environmentalists, in that, preservation and conservation are bred in them from birth.

Their livelihood is entirely dependent upon the rains during the monsoon season and deep wells the rest of the year. Thus water has informed their food consumption, culture, lifestyle, entertainment, dress, as well as their personal attitudes and values.

Commercially, the Thari are involved in handcrafting pottery, puppets, leather items, wood items, carpets, metal decorations, block prints, embroidered shoes, embroidery beading and mirror work on clothes and tapestries, painting, colorful and intricate jewelry, among other works of art and craft. The handicrafts are distinguished by their bright, cheerful colors.