Sunday, March 06, 2011

Illustrated Gun (and Asian Hawk Art)

As part of my downsizing/ upgrading I bought my scrimshaw grips a new gun (1911 .45 of course), a Kimber Ultra Carry II with night sights. Mel at Ron Peterson's threw in an ingenious holster that can be used right or left side, cross or regular draw, with no alterations.

The design is based on a drawing I did, a composite from these (life- sized) Japanese goshawk screens (click on them to enlarge-- they should go up twice), with a pose from one and Siberian "North- of- the Waste White" plumage from another.


Japanese falconry probably ultimately derives from the Chinese. Jess at Desert Windhounds sent me these 18th century images of such a gos and a gyr by Castiglione, the Jesuit painter at the Chinese court, who combined western and Chinese techniques. (He did tazis too-- I'll get to them...)



Update: Jess sent me another image. This gos wears a rooster feather on its tail to make it more visible in cover, as the ones flown by the Naxi in southwestern China still do.

4 comments:

Moro Rogers said...

Castiglione=awesome.

Steve Bodio said...

If there were world enough and time one could do a book on the Asian Jesuit- naturalists- Castiglione, Pere David and his deer, Teilhard and his vanished skull-- and the last perhaps, the great adventurer Anderson Bakewell, a friend and mentor...

The Suburban Bushwacker said...

'As part of my downsizing/ upgrading'

This brought a much needed smile to my face, I have the same symptoms, the cure is unknown.

But there's a guy online who I'm going to trade with for one!!

SBW

Anonymous said...

The Hawk images on screens are simply stunning. As you know, the two prints you gave to me as a gift are currently framed and hanging in the left side of the Kamiza in my Aikido Dojo. Displayed only slightly lower than the customary portrait of our founder O'Sensei Morehi Ueshieba.
Thank you again for them.
Bodie