Late 1800s catalogues from Japanese firework makers show the designs of their bursts

arts, ideas & societyThe Public Domain Review1880s · Japan

Late 1800s catalogues from Japanese firework makers show the designs of their bursts

the gist

In the late 1800s, Japanese firework makers produced catalogues that illustrated the designs their shells could produce in the night sky. The catalogues were distributed through C. T. Brock and Company, which described itself as the oldest fireworks manufacturer in the United Kingdom. Their illustrations show how firework design was treated as a visual art, with each pattern of burst described and drawn for buyers choosing displays.

so what

The catalogues show that fireworks were a serious craft with a visual vocabulary, and that Japanese and British makers traded designs across borders in the same period. They are a rare record of how commercial pyrotechnics were presented to customers.

fun fact

Japanese fireworks have long been prized for round, chrysanthemum-shaped bursts.

more on this

background

Fireworks are low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices in an outdoor setting. Such displays are the focal point of many cultural and religious celebrations, though mismanagement can lead to fireworks accidents.

Fireworks take many forms to produce four primary effects: noise, light, smoke, and floating materials (confetti most notably). They may be designed to burn with colored flames and sparks including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and silver. They are generally classified by where they perform, either 'ground' or 'aerial'. Aerial fireworks may have their own propulsion (skyrocket) or be shot into the air by a mortar (aerial shell).

Most fireworks consist of a paper or pasteboard tube or casing filled with the combustible material, often pyrotechnic stars. A number of these tubes or cases may be combined so as to make when kindled, a great variety of sparkling shapes, often variously colored.

From Wikipedia: Fireworks (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗ · text CC BY-SA 4.0

longer watch · 28:28

28:28

How Japanese Fireworks are Made & Launched ★ ONLY in JAPAN

ONLY in JAPAN on YouTube ↗

see

Илья Бунин, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Andreas Weith, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image: The Public Domain Review

source: The Public Domain Review ↗

politics

Indonesia's vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigns over eligibility and credentials questions

the gist

Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka handed his resignation to parliament after questions were raised about his eligibility for office and his academic credentials. Gibran is the son of former president Joko Widodo, and his resignation came as Widodo publicly backed the president, Prabowo Subianto. Gibran had been elected vice president in 2024 as Prabowo's running mate. His candidacy was made possible by a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling on the minimum age for candidates, which was itself controversial. Parliament will now consider the resignation.

so what

The vice presidency is the constitutional successor role to the presidency, so the vacancy matters for who would stand in if the president could not serve.

fun fact

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state, with more than 17,000 islands.

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Data: GDELT Project

Illustrative photo · Jayakatwang, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

10:49

supplementary video · Epimetheus on YouTube ↗

world cultures & travelWikivoyageclassic9th–15th century · Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth, covering about 3,000 square kilometres

the gist

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.

how it works

The Khmer kings built enormous rectangular reservoirs that caught monsoon rain during the wet season. Earthen dykes and canals moved that water into rice paddies, so farmers could grow crops across much of the year. The surplus food supported craftsmen, builders and the workforce that raised the temples.

so what

Angkor shows how a society without industrial machinery could build a city on a scale that rivals modern metropolises, using engineering and water management instead. Some historians link its decline to drought, flooding and shifts in its water systems, which makes it a long-running case study in how cities depend on managing water. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia.

fun fact

The outline of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag of Cambodia.