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Late Night Old Nanjing
Nanjing, China
2018

This is another from the recreated old town that I visited in Najing. While certain neighborhoods in Chinese cities still have this kind of look, one clue that this is a recreation is that there are no people around–a rare site on the streets even at night out in the real city.

The Value of Dirty Windows
Nanjing, China
2018

If the movie Girl With the Pearl Earring is to be believed, the Dutch painter Vermeer was obsessed with keeping his studio windows dirty, preferring the diffuse pearly light that they cast. This photo of an early Chinese photography studio, complete with props and backdrops, certainly supports that idea. It was taken through a dirty window and contained a fair amount of reflection as well. The gauzy effect it created lends the perfect atmosphere to this old-time scene.

This old town recreation in Nanjing made an effort to merge modern commerce with historic appeal. Off to the right of the scene in this photo was some modern studio lighting equipment, indicating the studio is still being used.

The Apothecary Shop #2
Nanjing, China
2018

I don’t have a clue as to what is in each of these drawers but I can imagine all sorts of exotic components for custom made medicine. Along with modern medicine, traditional medicines are still popular in China, in fact there has been a resurgence in interest. So you can find slightly updated versions of this shop and these drawers without looking too hard around town.

Apothecary Shop #1
Nanjing, China
2018

One of the more interesting exhibits in the museums I visited in Nanjing was the recreation of an entire area of a town back in the “old days” of China. (I have to use the term old days because I was mostly gawking at things so never did figure out what era they were supposed to be recreating in the exhibit.)

Language Barrier
Nanjing, China
2018

There is a line of small type below “why nobody fights’ on this woman’s jacket that says “let me do the fight.” English words are quite popular on jackets and t-shirts in China. Quite often it seems they don’t know exactly what they are saying; at least it’s nothing I can figure out a reasonable meaning for. That is no different, I’m sure, from a lot of Americans who put Chinese symbols on their clothes (or tatoos, or artwork, etc.). They do it because they like the way it looks but don’t really know what they are saying or if they are getting their point across correctly.

Old School Buffalo
Nanjing, China
2018

A prehistoric buffalo skull, of a species I believe is a true buffalo as opposed to the American bison which is popularly known as a buffalo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Encrinite
Nanjing, China
2018

If it were not in a collection of fossils it would have been a surprise to me to discover that this is in fact a fossil and not an artistic relief sculpture. On doing some research, it was definitely a surprise to find out these are animals, not flowers. (My guess would have been poppies.)

Encrinite is the name for the rock that is formed from crinoids, the name for the individual animals. The name crinoids comes from the Greek word krinon which means lily. A common name for the plants, er animals, is sea lily.

Wicket Lady
Nanjing, China
2018

And you thought that title was a typo. 🙂

Old School
Nanjing, China
2018

So old they are fossils, these fish look like they were caught in mid-swim.

Dem Bones
Nanjing, China
2018

Probably should have saved this one for next Halloween.