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(1031 - 1095)
Shen Kuo was a Chinese astronomer, mathematician, and high official best known for The Dream Pool Essays , his book of observations and thoughts. The book contains hundreds of separate essays on a wide variety of subjects, such as mathematics, astronomy, cartography, optics, and medicine, among others, as well as the first known mention of the magnetic compass and of movable type.
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Personal beliefs and philosophy, dissertation on the ''timberwork manual'', botany and zoology, book chapters of the meng xi bi tan, no comments:.
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The Dream Pool Essays or Dream Torrent Essays [1] ( Pinyin : Mèng Xī Bǐ Tán ; Wade-Giles : Meng⁴ Hsi¹ Pi³-t'an² ; Chinese : 夢溪筆談/梦溪笔谈) was an extensive book written by the Han Chinese polymath , genius , scientist and statesman Shen Kuo (1031-1095) by 1088 AD, during the Song dynasty (960-1279) of China . Although Shen was previously a highly renowned government official and military general, he compiled this enormous written work while virtually isolated on his lavish garden estate near modern-day Zhenjiang , Jiangsu province. He named the book after the name he gave to his estate, the "Dream Brook". The literal translated meaning is Brush Talks from a Dream Brook , and Shen Kuo is quoted as saying: [2]
Because I had only my writing brush and ink slab to converse with, I call it Brush Talks .
As the historian Chen Dengyuan points out, much of Shen Kuo's written work was probably purged under the leadership of minister Cai Jing (1046-1126). [3] For example, only six of Shen's books remain, and four of these have been significantly altered since the time they were penned by the author. [4] The Dream Pool Essays was first quoted in a Chinese written work of 1095 AD, showing that even towards the end of Shen's life his final book was becoming widely printed. [5] The book was originally 30 chapters long, yet an unknown Chinese author's edition of 1166 AD edited and reorganized the work into 26 chapters. [5] There is one surviving copy of this 1166 edition housed now in Japan, while a Chinese reprint was produced in 1305 as well. [5] In 1631 another edition was printed, but it was heavily reorganized into three broad chapters. [5]
With Shen's writings on fossils , geomorphology , and shifting geographical climates , he states in the following passages:
In the Zhi-ping reign period (+1064 to +1067) a man of Zezhou was digging a well in his garden, and unearthed something shaped like a squirming serpent, or dragon. He was so frightened by it that he dared not touch it, but after some time, seeing that it did not move, he examined it and found it to be stone. The ignorant country people smashed it, but Zheng Boshun, who was magistrate of Jincheng at the time, got hold of a large piece of it on which scale-like markings were to be seen exactly like those on a living creature. Thus a serpent or some kind of marine snake ( chhen ) had certainly been turned to stone, as happens with the 'stone-crabs'. [8] [9]
In recent years [circa +1080] there was a landslide on the bank of a large river in Yong-ning Guan near Yanzhou. The bank collapsed, opening a space of several dozens of feet, and under the ground a forest of bamboo shoots was thus revealed. It contained several hundred bamboo with their roots and trunks all complete, and all turned to stone...Now bamboos do not grow in Yanzhou. These were several dozens of feet below the present surface of the ground, and we do not know in what dynasty they could possibly have grown. Perhaps in very ancient times the climate was different so that the place was low, damp, gloomy, and suitable for bamboos. On the Jin-hua Shan in Wuzhou there are stone pine-cones, and stones formed from peach kernels, stone bulrush roots, stone fishes, crabs, and so on, but as these are all (modern) native products of that place, people are not very surprised at them. But these petrified bamboos appeared under the ground so deep, though they are not produced in that place today. This is a very strange thing. [9] [10]
When the Director of the Astronomical Observatory asked Shen Kuo if the shapes of the sun and moon were round like balls or flat like fans, Shen Kuo explained his reasoning for the former:
If they were like balls they would surely obstruct each other when they met. I replied that these celestial bodies were certainly like balls. How do we know this? By the waxing and waning of the moon. The moon itself gives forth no light, but is like a ball of silver; the light is the light of the sun (reflected). When the brightness is first seen, the sun(-light passes almost) alongside, so the side only is illuminated and looks like a crescent. When the sun gradually gets further away, the light shines slanting, and the moon is full, round like a bullet. If half of a sphere is covered with (white) powder and looked at from the side, the covered part will look like a crescent; if looked at from the front, it will appear round. Thus we know that the celestial bodies are spherical. [11]
When the director of the astronomical observatory asked Shen Kuo why eclipses occurred only on an occasional basis while in conjunction and opposition once a day, Shen Kuo wrote:
I answered that the ecliptic and the moon's path are like two rings, lying one over the other, but distant by a small amount. (If this obliquity did not exist), the sun would be eclipsed whenever the two bodies were in conjunction, and the moon would be eclipsed whenever they were exactly in position. But (in fact) though they may occupy the same degree, the two paths are not (always) near (each other), and so naturally the bodies do not (intrude) upon one another. [11]
On the use of the sighting tube to fix the position of the pole star , Shen Kuo wrote:
Before Han times it was believed that the pole star was in the center of the sky, so it was called Jixing (Summit star). Zi Geng(-zhi) found out with the help of the sighting tube that the point in the sky which really does not move was a little more than 1 degree away from the summit star. In the Xining reign-period (1068-1077) I accepted the order of the emperor to take charge of the Bureau of the Calendar . I then tried to find the true pole by means of the tube. On the very first night I noticed that the star which could be seen through the tube moved after a while outside the field of view. I realized, therefore, that the tube was too small, so I increased the size of the tube by stages. After three months' trials I adjusted it so that the star would go round and round within the field of view without disappearing. In this way I found that the pole star was distant from the true pole somewhat more than 3 degrees. We used to make the diagrams of the field, plotting the positions of the star from the time when it entered the field of view, observing after nightfall, at midnight, and early in the morning before dawn. Two hundred of such diagrams showed that the 'pole star' was really a circumpolar star . And this I stated in my detailed report to the emperor. [12]
On the methods of Bi Sheng 's invention of movable type printing between the years 1041 to 1048 AD, Shen Kuo wrote:
[Bi Sheng] took sticky clay and cut in it characters as thin as the edge of a coin. Each character formed, as it were, a single type. He baked them in the fire to make them hard. He had previously prepared an iron plate and he had covered his plate with a mixture of pine resin, wax, and paper ashes. When he wished to print, he took an iron frame and set it on the iron plate. In this he placed the types, set close together. When the frame was full, the whole made one solid block of type. He then placed it near the fire to warm it. When the paste [at the back] was slightly melted, he took a smooth board and pressed it over the surface, so that the block of type became as even as a whetstone. If one were to print only two or three copies, this method would be neither simple nor easy. But for printing hundreds or thousands of copies, it was marvelously quick. As a rule he kept two forms going. While the impression was being made from the one form, the type was being put in place on the other. When the printing of the one form was finished, the other was then ready. In this way the two forms alternated and the printing was done with great rapidity. [13]
Of Daoism and the inability of empirical science to explain everything in the world, Shen Kuo wrote:
Those in the world who speak of the regularities underlying the phenomena, it seems, manage to apprehend their crude traces. But these regularities have their very subtle aspect, which those who rely on mathematical astronomy cannot know of. Still even these are nothing more than traces. As for the spiritual processes described in the [ Book of Changes ] that "when they are stimulated, penetrate every situation in the realm," mere traces have nothing to do with them. This spiritual state by which foreknowledge is attained can hardly be sought through changes, of which in any case only the cruder sort are attainable. What I have called the subtlest aspect of these traces, those who discuss the celestial bodies attempt to know by depending on mathematical astronomy; but astronomy is nothing more than the outcome of conjecture. [14]
Below are two passages from Shen's book outlining the basics contained in Yu Hao 's Timberwork Manual . Yu Hao was a Chinese architect of the earlier 10th, and Kuo was one to praise his work. In the first quote, Shen Kuo describes a scene where Yu Hao gives advice to another artisan architect about slanting struts for diagonal wind bracing:
When Mr. Qian (Wei-yan) was Governor of the two Zhejiang provinces, he authorized the building of a wooden pagoda at the Fan-tian Si ( Brahma -Heaven Temple) in Hangzhou with a design of twice three stories. While it was under construction General Chhien went up to the top and was worried because it swayed a little. But the Master-Builder explained that as the tiles had not yet been put on, the upper part was still rather light, hence the effect. So then they put on all the tiles, but the sway continued as before. Being at a loss what to do, he privately sent his wife to see the wife of Yu Hao with a present of golden hair pins , and enquire about the cause of the motion. (Yu) Hao laughed and said: 'That's easy, just fit in struts (pan) to settle the work, fixed with (iron) nails , and it will not move any more.' The Master-Builder followed his advice, and the tower stood quite firm. This is because the nailed struts filled in and bound together (all the members) up and down so that the six planes (above and below, front and back, left and right) were mutually linked like the cage of the thorax . Although people might walk on the struts, the six planes grasped and supported each other, so naturally there could be no more motion. Everybody acknowledged the expertise thus shown. [15]
In this next quote, Shen Kuo describes the dimensions and types of architecture outlined in Yu Hao's book:
Methods of building construction are described in the Timberwork Manual , which, some say, was written by Yu Hao . (According to that book), buildings have three basic units of proportion, what is above the cross-beams follows the Upperwork Unit, what is above the ground floor follows the Middlework Unit, and everything below that (platforms, foundations, paving, etc.) follows the Lowerwork Unit. The length of the cross-beams will naturally govern the lengths of the uppermost cross-beams as well as the rafters, etc. Thus for a (main) cross-beam of (8 ft) length, an uppermost cross-beam of (3.5 ft) length will be needed. (The proportions are maintained) in larger and smaller halls. This (2/28) is the Upperwork Unit. Similarly, the dimensions of the foundations must match the dimensions of the columns to be used, as also those of the (side-) rafters , etc. For example, a column (11 ft) high will need a platform (4.5 ft) high. So also for all the other components, corbelled brackets, projecting rafters, other rafters, all have their fixed proportions. All these follow the Middlework Unit (2/24). Now below of ramps (and steps) there are three kinds, steep, easy-going, and intermediate. In places these gradients are based upon a unit derived from the imperial litters. Steep ramps are ramps for ascending which the leading and trailing bearers have to extend their arms fully down and up respectively (ratio 3/35). Easy-going ramps are those for which the leaders use elbow length and the trailers shoulder height (ratio 1/38); intermediate ones are negotiated by the leaders with downstretched arms and trailers at shoulder height (ratio 2/18). These are the Lowerwork Units. The book (of Yu Hao) had three chapters. But builders in recent years have become much more precise and skillful (yen shan) than formerly. Thus for some time past the old Timberwork Manual has fallen out of use. But (unfortunately) there is hardly anybody capable of writing a new one. To do that would be a masterpiece in itself! [16]
Shen Kuo described the natural predator insect similarly shaped to the gou-he ("dog-grubs") which preyed upon the agricultural pest infestation of zi-fang , the moth Leucania separata : [17]
In the Yuan-Feng reign period (1078-1085), in the Qingzhou region, an outbreak of zi-fang insects caused serious damage to the crops in the fields in autumn. Suddenly another insect appeared in swarms of thousands and tens of thousands, covering the entire ground area. It was shaped like earth-burrowing gou-he (dog grubs), and its mouth was flanked by pincers. Whenever it met a zi-fang , it would seize it with the pincers and break the poor beast into two bits. Within ten days all the zi-fang had disappeared, so the locality had an abundant harvest. Such kinds of insects have been known since antiquity and the local people call them pang-bu-ken ("not allowing other [insects] to be"). [17]
Around 1078, Shen Kuo wrote an accurate description of the damaging effects of lightning to buildings and to the specific materials of objects within. Taking an objective and speculative viewpoint, he stated:
A house belonging to Li Shunju was struck by lightning. Brilliant sparkling light was seen under the eaves. Everyone thought that the hall would be burnt, and those who were inside rushed out. After the thunder had abated, the house was found to be alright, though its walls and the paper on the windows were blackened. On certain wooden shelves, certain lacquered vessels with silver mouths had been struck by the lightning, so that the silver had melted and dropped to the ground, but the lacquer was not even scorched. Also, a valuable sword made of strong steel had been melted to liquid, without the parts of the house nearby being affected. One would have thought that the thatch and wood would have been burnt up first, yet here were metals melted and no injury to thatch and wood. This is beyond the understanding of ordinary people. There are Buddhist books which speak of 'dragon fire' which burns more fiercely when it meets with water instead of being extinguished by water like 'human' fire. i[›] Most people can only judge of things by the experiences of ordinary life, but phenomena outside the scope of this are really quite numerous. How insecure it is to investigate natural principles using only the light of common knowledge, and subjective ideas. [18]
A passage called "Strange Happenings" contains a peculiar account of an unidentified flying object . Shen wrote that, during the reign of Emperor Renzong (1022–1063), an object as bright as a pearl occasionally hovered over the city of Yangzhou at night, but described first by local inhabitants of eastern Anhui and then in Jiangsu . [19] Shen wrote that a man near Xingkai Lake observed this curious object; allegedly it:
...opened its door and a flood of intense light like sunbeams darted out of it, then the outer shell opened up, appearing as large as a bed with a big pearl the size of a fist illuminating the interior in silvery white. The intense silver-white light, shot from the interior, was too strong for human eyes to behold; it cast shadows of every tree within a radius of ten miles. The spectacle was like the rising Sun, lighting up the distant sky and woods in red. Then all of a sudden, the object took off at a tremendous speed and descended upon the lake like the Sun setting. [20]
Shen went on to say that Yibo, a poet of Gaoyou , wrote a poem about this "pearl" after witnessing it. Shen wrote that since the "pearl" often made an appearance around Fanliang in Yangzhou, the people there erected a "Pearl Pavilion" on a wayside, where people came by boat in hopes to see the mysterious flying object. [21]
Around 1065 Shen Kuo wrote about the assembly methods for swords , and the patterns produced in the steel: [22]
Ancient people use chi kang , (combined steel), for the edge, and jou thieh (soft iron) for the back, otherwise it would often break. Too strong a weapon will cut and destroy its own edge; that is why it is advisable to use nothing but combined steel. As for the yu-chhang (fish intestines) effect, it is what is now called the 'snake-coiling' steel sword, or alternatively, the 'pine tree design'. If you cook a fish fully and remove its bones, the shape of its guts will be seen to be like the lines on a 'snake-coiling sword'. [23]
Shen Kuo observed that the Chinese since some centuries prior had entirely adopted barbarian fashions.
中國衣冠,自北齊以來,乃全用胡服。窄袖、緋綠短衣、長靿靴、有鞢帶,皆胡服也。窄袖利於馳射,短衣、長靿皆便於涉草。胡人樂茂草,常寢處其間,予使北時皆見之。雖王庭亦在深荐中。予至胡庭日,新雨過,涉草,衣褲皆濡,唯胡人都無所沾。帶衣所垂蹀躞,蓋欲佩帶弓劍、帨、算囊、刀勵之類。 The clothing of China since the Northern Qi [550–557] onward has been entirely made barbarian. Narrow sleeves, short dark red or green robes, tall boots and metal girdle ornaments are all barbarian garb. The narrow sleeves are useful when shooting while galloping. The short robes and tall boots are convenient when passing through tall grass. The barbarians all enjoy thick grass as they always sleep in it. I saw them all do it when I was sent north. Even the king's court is in the deep grasses. On the day I had arrived at the barbarian court the new rains had passed and I waded through the grass. My robes and trousers were all soaked, but the barbarians were not at all wet. With things hanging from robe and belt they walk about. One perhaps might want to hang items like a bow and blade, handkerchief, coin purse or knife from the belt.
On the humanities:
On natural sciences:
Humanistic sciences:
(Total number of paragraphs = 584) [24]
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Shen Kuo's Dream Pool Essays consists of some 507 separate essays exploring a wide range of subjects. It was Shen's ultimate attempt to comprehend and describe a multitude of various aspects of nature, science, and reality, and all the practical and profound curiosities found in the world. The literal translation of the title, Dream Brook Brush Talks , refers to his Dream Brook estate, where he spent the last years of his life. About the title, he is quoted as saying: "Because I had only my writing brush and ink slab to converse with, I call it Brush Talks."c
The book was originally 30 chapters long, yet an unknown Chinese author's edition of 1166 edited and reorganized the work into 26 chapters.
A passage called "Strange Happenings" contains a peculiar account of an unidentified flying object.
Read more about this topic: Shen Kuo , Written Works
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Probably made at Chisinau Court Workshop
Andrei Nikiforovich Voronikhin
Unknown Artist, Swiss, Austrian, or German, active Russia ca. 1703–4
Samuel Margas Jr.
Attributed to Georg Christoph Grooth
Niello scenes after a print entitled Naufrage (Shipwreck) by Jacques de Lajoüe , published in Paris 1736
Jean Antoine Houdon
Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, St. Petersburg
Zacharias Deichman the Elder
Jean-Baptiste Nini
Johan Henrik Blom
Jacques-Nicolas Roettiers
Possibly by Pierre-François-Mathis de Beaulieu (for Jean Georges)
Workshop of David Roentgen
Johann Friedrich Anthing
Attributed to Martin Carlin
Johan Adolph Grecke
Gardner Manufactory
Imperial Armory, Tula (south of Moscow), Russia
Nikolai Stepanovich Vereshchagin
James Tassie
Wolfram Koeppe Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
October 2003
The Birth of Saint Petersburg Russia, or “Muscovy” as it was often called, had rarely been considered a part of Europe before the reign of Czar Peter I (Piotr Alexeievich), known as Peter the Great (r. 1682–1725). His supremacy marked the beginning of the country’s “Westernization,” whereby the political, economic, and cultural norms of the western European monarchies would become the basis for “civilizing” Russia. A radical transformation was needed to launch Russia into the modern world, a transformation later called the Petrine Revolution. The young czar, feeling oppressed by the medieval traditions and ecclesiastical patriarchy of seventeenth-century Moscow, wanted to Westernize Russia in a hurry, defying the sluggish pace of history.
Saint Petersburg was born on May 16, 1703 (May 5 by the old Julian Russian calendar). On that day, on a small island on the north bank of the Neva River, Peter cut two pieces of turf and placed them cross-wise. The setting was inauspicious. The area was a swamp that remained frozen from early November to March, with an annual average of 104 days of rain and 74 days of snow. The army, under the command of Alexander Menshikov ( 1996.7 ), had conquered the region shortly before. To show his gratitude, the czar later appointed Menshikov the first governor-general of Saint Petersburg. The fortification of the territory kept the Swedish enemy at bay and secured for Russia permanent access to the Baltic Sea. The partially ice-free harbor would be crucial to further economic development. All buildings on the site were erected on wooden poles driven into the marshy, unstable ground. Stones were a rare commodity in Russia, and about as valuable as precious metals.
The Dutch name “Piterburkh” (later changed to the German version, “Petersburg”) embodied the czar’s fascination with Holland and its small-scale urban architecture. He disliked patriarchal court ceremony and felt at ease in the bourgeois domestic life that he experienced during his travels throughout Europe on “the Great Embassy” (1697–98). However, the primary purpose of this voyage was to acquire firsthand knowledge of shipbuilding—his personal passion—and to learn about progressive techniques and Western ideas.
The victory over the Swedish army at Poltava in June 1709 elevated Russia to the rank of a European power, no longer to be ignored. Peter triumphed: “Now with God’s help the final stone in the foundation of Saint Petersburg has been laid.” By 1717, the city’s population of about 8,000 had tripled, and grew to around 40,000 by the time of Peter’s death in 1725. Saint Petersburg had become the commercial, industrial, administrative, and residential “metropolis” of Russia. By the 1790s, it had surpassed Moscow as the empire’s largest urban vicinity and was hailed as the “Venice of the North,” an allusion to the waterway system around the local “Grand Canal,” the Neva River.
Peter the Great’s Successors The short reign of Peter’s second wife, Empress Catherine I (r. 1725–27), who depended on her long-time favorite Menshikov, saw the reinstatement of the luxurious habits of the former imperial household. The archaic and ostentatious court display in the Byzantine tradition that Peter had so despised was now to be restored under the pretext of glorifying his legacy. Enormous sums of money were lavished on foreign luxury items, demonstrating the court’s new international status and its observance of western European manners ( 68.141.133 ).
During the reigns of Empress Anna Ioannovna (r. 1730–40), niece of Peter I ( 1982.60.330a,b ), and her successor Elizabeth (Elizaveta Petrovna, r. 1741–62; 1978.554.2 ), Peter’s daughter, Saint Petersburg was transformed into a Baroque extravaganza through the talents of architect Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli (1700–1771) and other Western and Russian artisans. Foreign powers began to recognize Russia’s importance and competed for closer diplomatic relations. Foreign immigrants increased much faster than the local population, as scholars, craftsmen, artisans, and specialists of all kinds flocked to the country, and especially to Saint Petersburg ( 65.47 ; 1982.60.172,.173 ; 1995.327 ).
Catherine the Great (r. 1762–96) In a coup d’état assisted by the five Orloff brothers ( 33.165.2a–c ; 48.187.386,.387 ), Catherine II overthrew her husband, the ill-fated Peter III (r. 1762) and became empress. Catherine saw herself as the political heir of Peter the Great. A German-born princess of Anhalt-Zerbst who, after her marriage, became more Russian than any native, Catherine aimed at completing Peter’s legacy ( 52.189.11 ; 48.73.1 ). Having lived in isolation in the shadow of Elizabeth I since her marriage to the grand duke in 1745, the time had come to satisfy her thirst for life and her insatiable quest for culture and international recognition. An admirer of the Enlightenment and devoted aficionada of Voltaire’s writings, Catherine stimulated his cult in Russia ( 1972.61 ). In response, the French philosopher dedicated a poem to the czarina; her reply, dated October 15, 1763, initiated a correspondence that influenced the empress on many matters until Voltaire’s death in 1778. The hothouse cultural climate of Saint Petersburg during Catherine’s reign can be compared to the artistic and intellectual ferment in New York City in the second half of the twentieth century.
Catherine’s desire to enhance her fame and her claim to the throne was immortalized by her own witty play on words in Latin: “Petro Primo / Catharina Secunda” (To Peter the First / from Catherine the Second). This she had inscribed on the vast lump of granite in the form of a wave supporting the Bronze Horseman on the banks of the Neva in front of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. This triple-lifesize equestrian figure of Peter the Great took the French sculptor Falconet twelve years to complete, until it was finally cast—after three attempts—in 1782.
Catherine had military expansion plans for Russia and a cultural vision for its capital Saint Petersburg. Above all, she knew how to attract devoted supporters. Only nine days after the overthrow of her husband, Catherine wrote to Denis Diderot, offering to print his famous Encyclopédie , which had been banned in France. Catherine recognized the power of art to demonstrate political and social maturity. She acquired entire collections of painting ( Watteau , for example), sculpture, and objects. The empress avoided anything that could be called mediocre or small. With the help of sophisticated advisors, such as Prince Dmitrii Golitsyn, her ambassador in Paris, Denis Diderot, Falconet, and the illustrious Baron Friedrich Melchior von Grimm, the empress assembled the core of today’s State Hermitage Museum. Catherine favored luxury goods from all over Europe ( 33.165.2a–c ; 48.187.386,.387 ; 17.190.1158 ). She commissioned Sèvres porcelain and Wedgwood pottery as well as hundreds of pieces of ingeniously conceived furniture from the German manufactory of David Roentgen in Neuwied ( 48.73.1 ). Furthermore, she encouraged and supported Russian enterprises and craftsmen, like local silversmiths ( 47.51.1–.5 ; 1981.367.1,.2 ) and the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory ( 1982.60.171 ; 1982.60.177,.178 ; 1982.60.175 ), as well as privately owned manufactories ( 1982.60.158 ). Catherine especially liked the sparkling decorative products of the Tula armory steel workshop ( 2002.115 ), genuine Russian art forms with a fairy-tale-like appearance, and in 1775 merged her large collection of Tula objects with the imperial crown jewels in a newly constructed gallery at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg.
Catherine’s son and successor Paul I (Pavel Petrovich, r. 1796–1801) disliked his mother and her aesthetic sensibility ( 1998.13.1,.2 ). As grand duke, he had spent most of his time with his second wife Maria Feodorovna ( 1999.525 ) outside of Saint Petersburg, in Gatchina Palace and Pavlovsk Palace. These they transformed into the finest Neoclassical architectural gems in Europe ( 1976.155.110 ; 2002.115 ).
Koeppe, Wolfram. “Saint Petersburg.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/stpt/hd_stpt.htm (October 2003)
Cracraft, James. The Petrine Revolution in Russian Imagery . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997.
Koeppe, Wolfram, and Marina Nudel. "An Unsuspected Bust of Alexander Menshikov." Metropolitan Museum Journal 35 (2000), pp. 161–77.
Shvidkovsky, Dmitri, and Alexander Orloff. St. Petersburg: Architecture of the Tsars . New York: Abbeville, 1995.
Single Family
Jacki Fabrizio
Smith & Associates Real Estate
Last updated:
September 26, 2024, 01:30 PM
Welcome to 350 13th Avenue NE, a magnificent property nestled in the heart of Historic Old Northeast, St. Petersburg. This elegantly restored 4-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom residence perfectly marries historic charm with contemporary luxury. As you step inside, you’re greeted by a spacious open floor plan that seamlessly integrates modern comforts with timeless design. The chef’s kitchen stands out as a centerpiece of the home, featuring custom cabinetry, a generous island, and a high-end gas range, making it ideal for both everyday cooking and entertaining. The master suite is a sanctuary of relaxation, boasting a large 10x10 walk-in closet and a luxurious en-suite bathroom with double sinks, ensuring ample space and privacy. Recent updates from 2016 are, exterior paint, a new roof, tankless gas water heater, updated plumbing and electrical systems, and a brand-new HVAC system, provide peace of mind and efficiency. Outside, the resort-style pool offers a private oasis for leisure and social gatherings, while an inviting outdoor gas fire pit enhances the outdoor living experience. The property also features a detached 3-car garage, providing ample space for vehicles and additional parking, with the added bonus of room for extra parking accessible via the alley. Living in Old Northeast means you’re just a short stroll away from the vibrant downtown area, picturesque parks, and the stunning waterfront. This exceptional home not only delivers on aesthetic appeal but also offers the ultimate in modern amenities and convenience. With its blend of historic elegance and contemporary upgrades, 350 13th Avenue NE is truly a dream home waiting for you to make it your own. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience luxury living in one of St. Petersburg’s most sought-after neighborhoods.
Built in 1925
$644 per Sq. Ft.
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7 day(s) ago
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Living Area:
2,094 Sq. Ft.
Architectural Style:
Bungalow, Craftsman
Building Area:
2,955 Sq. Ft.
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The Dream Pool Essays (or Dream Torrent Essays) [1] was an extensive book written by the Chinese polymath and statesman Shen Kuo (1031-1095), published in 1088 during the Song dynasty (960-1279) of China. Shen compiled this encyclopedic work while living in forced retirement from government office, naming the book after his private estate ...
The Dream Pool Essays (or Dream Torrent Essays) was an extensive book written by the Chinese polymath and statesman Shen Kuo (1031-1095), published in 1088 during the Song dynasty (960-1279) of China. Shen compiled this encyclopedic work while living in forced retirement from government office, nami.
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by volunteers.
Mengxi Bitan (Dream Pool Essays) was widely regarded as an important scientific works in ancient China. While in his thirties, Shen Kuo frequently dreamed of a place. In the dream, he ascended a hill, the summit of which was covered with brightly colored flowers and trees. Clear waters flowed at the base of the hill, banked on either side by ...
who wrote the dream pool essays. "Dream Pool Essays" is a work authored by Shen Kuo, a scientist and politician during the Northern Song Dynasty. Shen Kuo (1031-1095), styled Cunzhong, with the courtesy name Mengxi Zhangren, was of Han ethnicity and hailed from Qiantang County in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Renowned as both a political ...
Dream Pool Essays contained the earliest description of the principle of the compass—magnetizing a needle by rubbing its tip with lodestone, hanging the magnetic needle with one single strain of silk with a bit of wax attached to the center of the needle. Shen Kua pointed out that the needle prepared this way sometimes points south, sometimes ...
THE book "Dream Pool Essays," known as "Mengxi Bitan" in Chinese, is recognized worldwide as "a landmark in the history of science in China" and also as an important encyclopedia produced nearly 1,000 years ago. It was the first book in the world to refer to the magnetic compass, describe movable type printing and explain the origin of fossils.
沈括. 梦溪笔谈. 1088. Kuo Shen, "Dream Pool Essay", 1088 This is a reprint of the Dream Pool Essays written by Shen Kuo. The book recorded Bi Sheng's work on the movable type. We used this as an artifact and evidence to better prove the invention of movable type. Images: Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Mengxi Bitan (Dream Pool Essays) was widely regarded as an important scientific works in ancient China. While in his thirties, Shen Kuo frequently dreamed of a place. In the dream, he ascended a hill, the summit of which was covered with brightly colored flowers and trees. Clear waters flowed at the base of the hill, banked on either side by ...
Shen Kuo was a Chinese astronomer, mathematician, and high official best known for The Dream Pool Essays, his book of observations and thoughts.The book contains hundreds of separate essays on a wide variety of subjects, such as mathematics, astronomy, cartography, optics, and medicine, among others, as well as the first known mention of the magnetic compass and of movable type.
Shen Kua, Mêng Chhi Phi Than (Dream Pool Essays) (excerpts) Mathematics: For effecting the division of a circumference I have another way. Take the diameter ( ching) of a circular area ( yuan thien) and halve it, then let this (radius) be taken as the hypotenuse ( hsüan) of a right-angled triangle.Let the difference which arises when the radius is diminished by the di- vided part (the ...
Dream Pool Essays (Chinese Edition) by Shen Kuo. Paperback - June 4, 2014. In this book, there are not only large amounts of records on natural sciences but also narrations on many social sciences. The wide-ranging contents cover stories, dialectics, musical temperament, image-numerology, officialdom, political wisdom, literature, art ...
Dream Pool Essays. By (author): Gil McElroy. Lifted from an ancient Chinese astronomical text, the title Dream Pool Essays hints at Gil McElroy's interest in cosmology: always a construct made visible between the elements of chaos. These poems constitute an active multiple streaming of sources usually considered quite disparate: the physical ...
Excerpt: The Dream Pool Essays (Pinyin: M ng X B T n; Wade-Giles: Meng Ch'i Pi T'an Chinese: ) was an extensive book written by the polymath Chinese scientist and statesman Shen Kuo (1031-1095) by 1088 AD, during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) of China. Although Shen was previously a highly renowned government official and military general, he ...
The Dream Pool Essays (Chinese Edition) Paperback - January 1, 2018. Language:Chinese.SoftCover.Pub Date:2018-02-01.publisher:Citic publishing group..description:Paperback. Pub Date: 2018-02-01 Publisher: citic publishing group. citic traditional Chinese ceremony volumes (50) is citic press introduced from Hong Kong zhong a deep international ...
The Dream Pool Essays was an extensive book written by the polymath Chinese scientist and statesman Shen Kuo by 1088 AD, during the Song Dynasty of China. Although Shen was previously a highly renowned government official and military general, he compiled this enormous written work while virtually isolated on his lavish garden near modern-day Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province.
The Dream Pool Essays or Dream Torrent Essays (Pinyin: Mèng Xī Bǐ Tán; Wade-Giles: Meng⁴ Hsi¹ Pi³-t'an²; Chinese: 夢溪筆談/梦溪笔谈) was an extensive book written by the Han Chinese polymath, genius, scientist and statesman Shen Kuo (1031-1095) by 1088 AD, during the Song dynasty (960-1279) of China.Although Shen was previously a highly renowned government official and ...
Shen Kuo's Dream Pool Essays consists of some 507 separate essays exploring a wide range of subjects. It was Shen's ultimate attempt to comprehend and describe a multitude of various aspects of nature, science, and reality, and all the practical and profound curiosities found in the world. The literal translation of the title, Dream Brook Brush ...
In his Dream Pool Essays or Dream Torrent Essays (夢溪筆談; Mengxi Bitan) of 1088, Shen was the first to describe the magnetic needle compass, which would be used for navigation (first described in Europe by Alexander Neckam in 1187). Shen discovered the concept of true north in terms of magnetic declination towards the north pole, with ...
360 13th Ave NE #0B-1Ba-350Sqft, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 is a Studio, 1 bath, 350 sqft Apartment listed for rent on Trulia for $1,350. See 8 photos, review amenities, and request a tour of the property today.
Writers' Bookstore (Knizhnaya Lavka Pisatelei) features Russian and foreign literature, fiction, science and some contemporary literature in English. Address: 66 Nevsky Prospekt. Telephone: +7 (812) 314-4759. Bookstores in St. Petersburg, Russia is an index and summary of bookshops in St Petersburg. Read up on Saint Petersburg bookstores.
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Crissman Dr N #11, Saint Petersburg, FL 33714 is a 0 bath Lot/Land listed for $135,000. Build your dream home on this vacant residential lot in North St. Petersburg! This high and dry lot has been cleared and is located in a...
By 1717, the city's population of about 8,000 had tripled, and grew to around 40,000 by the time of Peter's death in 1725. Saint Petersburg had become the commercial, industrial, administrative, and residential "metropolis" of Russia. By the 1790s, it had surpassed Moscow as the empire's largest urban vicinity and was hailed as the ...
Outside, the resort-style pool offers a private oasis for leisure and social gatherings, while an inviting outdoor gas fire pit enhances the outdoor living experience. ... 350 13th Avenue NE is truly a dream home waiting for you to make it your own. Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience luxury living in one of St. Petersburg's ...
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