Opus – Page 28 – Encyclopædia of the sublime

Dong Tao chicken

Dong Tao chicken is a rare Vietnamese chicken breed with enlarged feet, that originates from the village Đông Tảo in Khoái Châu District near Hanoi. Dong Tao chickens are valued as a delicacy in Vietnam, and they were once bred exclusively to be served to the royal family and mandarins. They are difficult to breed as their large legs make hatching difficult, and they are also sensitive to changes in temperature. Hens often break the eggs with their bulky legs, so eggs are usually kept in an incubator.

Uniklinik Aachen

The Uniklinik Aachen is the university hospital of the city of Aachen, Germany. The hospital's exterior has extensive visible pipes, which give the building an industrial appearance reminiscent of an oil refinery.

Shirdan

Shirdan is an offal dish prepared by washing the abomasum (lower stomach) of a sheep and then stuffing it with chopped meat, onions, and paprika, then further seasoning it with black pepper, pimento and salt. Water is then added and the opened cavity is sewn with a needle and thread. Lastly, it is baked with animal fat in an earthen casserole. This frequently consumed dish in Adana, Turkey is considered a regional specialty.

Snow goggles

Inuit snow goggles, also known as "Iggaak" or "Ivigarlik," are traditional eyewear used by the indigenous Inuit people of the Arctic regions, including Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Siberia. These goggles are ingeniously designed to protect the eyes from snow blindness, a condition caused by the intense glare of sunlight reflecting off snow and ice. The construction of Inuit snow goggles typically involves a narrow horizontal slit or groove carved into a single piece of bone, wood, or other translucent material, such as walrus ivory or caribou antler.

Villa Palagonia

The Villa Palagonia is a patrician villa in Sicily, Italy. The villa itself, built from 1715 by the architect Tommaso Napoli with the help of Agatino Daidone, is one of the earliest examples of Sicilian Baroque. However, its popularity comes mainly from the statues of monsters with human faces that decorate its garden and its wall, and earned it the nickname of "The Villa of Monsters".

Frederik IX of Denmark

Frederik IX of Denmark was the King of Denmark from 1947 until his death in 1972. As king, Frederik IX was known for his informal and approachable demeanor, earning him the nickname "the people's king." He was beloved by the Danish public for his down-to-earth personality and willingness to engage with ordinary citizens. In addition to his role as monarch, Frederik IX was an accomplished musician and conductor, known for his love of jazz and classical music. He often performed as a jazz pianist and was a patron of the arts, supporting Danish musicians and composers throughout his reign.

Daisugi

Literally translating to platform cedar, daisugi is a 14th- or 15th-century technique that offers an efficient, sustainable, and visually stunning approach to forestry. The method originated in Kyoto and involves pruning the branches of Kitayama cedar so that the remaining shoots grow straight upward from a platform. Rather than harvesting the entire tree for lumber, loggers can fell just the upper portions, leaving the base and root structure intact. Although daisugi mostly is used in gardens or bonsai today, it originally was developed to combat a seedling shortage when the demand for taruki, a type of impeccably straight and knot-free lumber, was high.

Cephalocereus senilis

Cephalocereus senilis, the old man cactus, is a species of cactus native to Hidalgo and Veracruz in central Mexico. It is threatened in the wild, but widespread propagation and popularity in cultivation have reduced the demand on wild populations.

Abram Petrovich Gannibal

Abram Petrovich Gannibal was a Russian military engineer, general-in-chief, and nobleman of African origin. Kidnapped and enslaved as a child by Ottomans, Gannibal was smuggled to Russia and presented as a gift to Peter the Great, where he was freed, adopted and raised in the Emperor's court household as his godson.

Fiery Cross Reef

Fiery Cross Reef is a submerged feature in the South China Sea, situated within the Spratly Islands archipelago. The reef is located approximately 375 kilometers west of Palawan, Philippines, and is claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Over the years, Fiery Cross Reef has been the subject of significant attention due to its strategic location and the contentious territorial disputes surrounding it. China, in particular, has undertaken extensive land reclamation and construction activities on the reef, transforming it into an artificial island.