I really enjoyed Mike's post about the metal plates and it started me wondering, is there a correlation between the medium used and the kind of document preserved? There are records from the Chinese preserved on wood, bamboo, silk, stone, paper, metal, and ceramic. I hypothesized that more domestic things would be preserved on ceramic, silk, and bamboo while the official institutional documents would be kept on paper, metal, and stone.
"Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man." -- Zhuangzi
Showing posts with label institutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label institutions. Show all posts
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Choosing a Medium
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