I have included Christmas gifts for my friends as well. Sources for each characters are listed below.
Renatii : Mughal Empire, 1647
Court Lady with a Narcissus, c.1630, Khalili Collections
Lady of the Court, British Library, Add Or 3129, f.14
Oval portrait of a woman in a Chaghtai hat, Mughal India, c. 1740–50, Cleveland Museum Of Art
Berhube : Mixteca, 1450
Codex Zouche Nuttall...
2024-12-27 16:51:17 +0000 UTC View Post
There are many evidences of Silla's interactions with the Western world. Mediterranean glassware and Central Asian daggers have been excavated from numerous tombs at Gyeongju. Stones engraved with beaded medallion motifs, which were popular in Sassanid Persia, have been unearthed in Wolji Pond. Persian textiles, carpets, and glassware have also been used in contemporary China and Japan. So, in the drawing, Yuri and Inpyeong are holding a Persian caftan and cloth.
The outfit of Bak Yuri ...
2024-12-14 13:02:14 +0000 UTC View Post
Sources for each characters are listed below.
Bingturong : Dani, 20th century
Group photo of the Dani people, Baliem Valley, 1938
Photo of Dani man wearing a traditional clothing, 1993
Photo of a war chief climbing up a watchtower, Baliem Valley, 2006
Photos of the Dani people in ceremonial regalia and arms, Baliem Valley Cultural Festival, 2010, 2016
Anyknown : Zulu, 1...
2024-11-27 08:48:32 +0000 UTC View Post
Three brothers of Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina who fought against the Chalca, 1464
The Mexica conquest of Chalco (1446-1465) was one of Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina's most challenging conquests, lasting nearly his whole reign. Although there were some successes, Mexica suffered a significant loss and was unable to land a decisive blow. So Motecuhzoma abandoned his earlier method of a sustained frontal assault in favor of indirect tactics. They increased the pressure by encircling...
2024-11-20 13:25:11 +0000 UTC View Post
Nencatacoa, the Muisca god of festivities, drunkenness, and dance, protector of the mantle makers and artists.
"Another god was called Nencatacoa. He was the god of drunkenness, painters, and mantle weavers. He helped lift the thick timbers for the buildings. He appeared in the form of a bear wearing a mantle, his tail hanging out. He danced and sang with them when they were drunk. They did not make him offerings because it was enough for him to drink a lot of chich...
2024-11-07 17:59:35 +0000 UTC View Post
Sources for each characters are listed below.
Chiaroscuro, Kanem-Bornu Empire, 1830
Hermann Goedsche, Bodyguard of the Sheikh of Bornu, 1823
Quilted horse armor from Sahel region, 19th century, British Museum
Bornu quilted horse armor and body armor, late 19th century, The Liverpool Museum
Photo of a Bornu mounted warriors in a quilted lifidi armor, Niger, 1920s
Aleksandr Yakovlev, Dessins et Pein...
2024-10-27 08:29:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Royal scribe Chimalpilli frequently visits the libraries of Tenochtitlan and Tetzcoco to research and copy codices.
Although there were thousands of books (amoxtin) in the Mexica Empire's archieves/libraries (amoxcalli), the vast majority of them were destroyed by the Spanish conquistadores and priests. Colonial indigenous and mestizo historians grieved the loss of these precious documents. According to Don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochit...
2024-10-23 15:41:44 +0000 UTC View Post
The white coyote deity from Codex Zouche-Nuttall.
Various Mesoamerican civilizations have long been in close contact with each other. Even their deities transcended political and geographic boundaries. For example, the feathered serpent was called Quetzalcoatl by the Nahua, Kukulkan by the Yucatec Maya, and Q'uq'umatz by the K'icheʼ Maya.
Codex Zouche-Nuttall or Codex Tonindeye is a pre-Columbian document made by the Mixtec (Ñuù savi) people of modern-day...
2024-10-06 07:27:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Mexica soldier’s equipment for the long-distance campaign, based on Alvarado Tezozomoc’s Cronica mexicana.
After declaring the war, the huei tlatoani of the Mexica Empire ordered his people and the adjacent cities to prepare food, supplies, arms, as well as equipment for the journey. Although this was one of the most important aspects of the Aztec warfare, it is often overlooked by most discussions about the subject.
The tributary...
2024-09-30 18:30:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Sources for each characters are listed below.
freyja_valla : Ming Dynasty, 1570
Ruan Zude(阮祖德), Portrait of Yizhai(抑齋), 1561
Painting folio of Xu Xianqing's working career (徐顯卿宦迹圖), 1588
Portrait of an anonymous scholar wearing a blue pifeng(披風) and dongpoguan(東坡冠), 16th century
이정옥 등, 중국복식사, 형설출판사, 2000
글림자, 중국복식 남성편,...
2024-09-28 14:27:04 +0000 UTC View Post
The 'coat of arms' of Axayacatl based on Cronica Mexicana and Gomara. Axayacatl was the father of Motecuhzoma Xocoyotl, so there is a possibility that Motecuhzoma inherited this insignia from his father.
2024-09-20 17:40:15 +0000 UTC View Post
I am now at my hometown to celebrate Chuseok (추석).
Chuseok is one of the biggest traditional holidays in Korea. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Like many other harvest festivals around the world, it is held around the autumn equinox.
The drawing is set in the 19th century Joseon (Korea).
2024-09-16 23:07:41 +0000 UTC View Post
Xochimazatl encouraging his soldiers during the march towards the Gulf Coast, Late 1491
The year Twelve Reed (1491). Ahuitzotl focused this year’s campaign on the rebellious Gulf coast city states. Their initial target was Chinantlan, located far southeast out of the basin of Mexico. The army had to travel through rugged terrain for days. Halfway through the route, tlatoani’s loyal general Xochimazatl encouraged his soldiers to arrive safely in the friendly city...
2024-09-07 22:40:56 +0000 UTC View Post
Sources for each characters are listed below.
Patricio Renardo : Maori, 1750
Maori Hei-tiki pendant, late 18th century, Private collection
H.D.Skinner, D.R.Skimmons, The Maori Hei Tiki”, Otago Museum, 1966
Ian Knight, The New Zealand Wars 1820-72, Osprey, 2013
Bingturong : Ayutthaya Kingdom, 1600
Charles le Brun, Sketch of the dagger of the Ayutthaya diplomats, ...
2024-08-29 17:23:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Goguryeo (ancient Korea) couple, mid-5th century
Goguryeo’s clothing can be seen in their tomb murals. Goguryeo people wore geometric patterns on their garments, such as polka dots. The diamond pattern in this drawing is based on the murals in Jangcheon Tomb No. 2 (장천 2호분). The woman’s robe and man’s trousers have a diamond design. The golden earrings are based on those excavated on Jungdo Island, Chuncheon. The man is wearing a peculiar headgear kno...
2024-08-15 13:50:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Magnus Maximus (re. 383~388), also known as Macsen Wledig in Welsh, was one of the many usurping emperors of the late Roman Empire. Before taking the throne, he was a distinguished general in Britannia. Although he is largely remembered as a usurper who was eventually executed, he left a huge footprint in British history and Welsh legend.
This drawing is largely based on statues of late Roman emperors wearing armor. He is wearing a gold diadem...
2024-08-04 12:55:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Sources for each characters are listed below.
Hyenafur : Kingdom of Numidia, 200 BCE
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 30, c. 27-9 BCE
Silius Italicus, Punica, Book 16, c. 83-96
Bronze Enamel Brooch, 2nd-3rd centuries, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Raffaele D’Amato, Roman Centurions 753-31 BC: The Kingdom and the Age of Consuls, Osprey Publishing, 2011
William ...
2024-07-29 09:41:51 +0000 UTC View Post
The four main lords of Tlaxcallan at the time of the Spanish invasion. The overall concept of this drawing was inspired by playing cards.
Tlaxcala, or Tlaxcallan, was a Nahua polity located east of the Basin of Mexico. They are well-known as enemies of the Mexica Empire. Tlaxcallan means “place of the tortillas," but this may be a corruption of the settlement’s earlier name, Texcallan (place amid the crags).
Traditionally, it...
2024-07-11 14:53:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Sources for each characters are listed below.
Patricio Renardo : Egypt, 1280 BCE
Painted limestone statue of Meryre and Iniuia, Cairo Egyptian Museum, ca. 1353-1336 BCE
Statue of Hapi the Administrator of Amun Temple, Cairo Egyptian Museum, ca. 1294-1213
Scribe’s Palette, Metropolitan Museum of Art, ca. 2030-1550 BCE
Bingturong : Tang Dynasty, 705
Mural from the...
2024-06-30 16:58:49 +0000 UTC View Post
Aristocratic couple of Goryeo (medieval Korea), 12~13th centuries
Goryeo (고려) was a Korean state founded in 918, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392.
This drawing depicts an aristocratic couple in Goryeo. The man in the drawing is a hojang (호장), the highest-ranking local official. According to Xu Jing (徐兢, 1091~1153. An envoy from Song Dynasty China who visited Goryeo in 1123. He wrote ...
2024-06-26 17:43:10 +0000 UTC View PostFirst and foremost, it’s been a year since I started my Patreon! I am always grateful for your generous support.
Recently, I noticed that my supporters are having difficulty picking on a specific culture or geographic location when submitting a request. So I’m going to simplify the procedure. Instead of writing down your character and civilization/geographic area, simply submit your character and leave the rest to me!
For example:
Sources for each characters are listed below.
Hyenafur : Japan, 1260
Heiji Monogatari Emaki (平治物語絵巻), 125~80s
Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba (蒙古襲来絵詞), 1293
Anthony J. Bryant, Early Samurai AD 200-1500, 1991
Anyknown : Minoan Crete, 1600 BCE
The “cup bearer” fresco, Knossos, Crete, 1600-1450 BCE
Gold bead necklace from Sellopoulo, ...
2024-05-30 13:36:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Axayacatl (re. 1469~1481) was the sixth tlahtoani of Tenochtitlan. He is renowned for the conquest of Tlatelolco, the neighboring 'sister city' of Tenochtitlan. This is my interpretation of his battle attire (tlahuiztli) from the battle of Tlatelolco scene of Codex Cozcatzin. According to Olko, "An exclusively royal battle outfit was the costume of the god Xipe Totec" (Olko, 2014). Reportadely, Axayacatl was the first Mexica tlahtoani to wear this kind of battle outfit. Subsequent tlatoque su...
2024-05-24 13:20:53 +0000 UTC View PostI was finally discharged from the hospital today! It has been 30 days since I was hospitalized. I was in the hospital for 67 days last year, so compared to that it was relatively quicker. I really, really hope this is the last. I wasted almost 100 days because of this diabolical bacteria called MRSA. And I still have to regularly visit the hospital numerous times.
But at least the tough part is done. I will slowly return to the normal life during the rest of the month!
2024-05-16 16:11:42 +0000 UTC View Post
Achaemenid Persian Noblewoman, 5th century BCE
The available portraits of women during the Achaemenid period are rare. The ancient Persians did not leave notable female figures on their monuments, such as Pasargadae, Persepolis, and Susa. What’s left are mostly small artworks like gems, seals, and figurines.
Reliefs at Persepolis show Achaemenid men wearing a ‘Persian Robe’ as a formal dress. “The ankle-length robe (…) usually has a round...
2024-05-07 06:27:20 +0000 UTC View Post
West Mexico Shaft Tomb Tradition, Jalisco, 250 CE
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The 'Shaft Tomb Tradition' (300 BCE~400 CE) refers to a set of interlocked cultural traits found in the western Mexican states of Jalisco, Nayarit, and Colima. In the Preclassic and early Classic periods, Western Mexicans built shaft tombs buried with various grave goods, especially figurines. These figurines are often so highly detailed that they provide a valuable insight into their fashion, architecture, culture, and ...
2024-04-28 00:27:39 +0000 UTC View PostIt has been about a week since I’ve been hospitalized.
The pain during the procedure was unbearable at first few days, but it quickly went away throughout the week with the inflammation. By next week, they will stitch it, and then the procedure is basically done.
The problem is the antibiotic treatment, which I’m taking through an IV. It will take several more weeks, just like last year. So I probably won’t be able to get out of the hospital within next month.
The good...
2024-04-27 02:47:49 +0000 UTC View PostAccording to the MRI results, the abscess and inflammation were worse than I thought. Antibiotic treatment has started. In the meantime, my doctor decided that surgery would be the absolute last resort. So he decided to do it the old-fashioned way: incision and drainage. I don’t have to go through big surgery like last year, which is good.
However…there are some downsides to this.
Even though they give me local anesthesia, it is still horribly painful. They make an incision a...
2024-04-19 10:05:25 +0000 UTC View PostI will be hospitalized today and start the antibiotic treatment all over again. It is again due to the Staph infection. Just like last year. Also, I’m going to get another MRI scan to see if I need to have surgery again.
The worst news is that this time, even insurance can’t cover the bills because the relapse happened far too soon.
I have no idea when the treatment will end, and I'm expecting to be in the hospital for weeks or even months, as was last year.
It’s just...
2024-04-16 16:47:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Sources for each characters are listed below.
Patricio Renardo : Olmec, 900 BCE
Painting 1, Juxtlahuaca Cave Art, 1200-900 BCE
Oxtotitlan Mural 1, 900 BCE
Altar 5, La Venta, 900-400 BCE
Monument 19, Laguna de los Cerros, 1200-900 BCE
Daniel Parada, Olmec Formative Clothing 1500 BCE-250 CE, 2021
Haiyan : Safavid, 1550
Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp, 1525-1535
Wom...
2024-04-16 16:00:24 +0000 UTC View Post