[peashooter85]

Wheel-lock pistol, Spain, dated 1614

from The Victoria & Albert Museum

[gogolnose]

The statue of the Greek god Apollo in Mishima's mansion, under which he'd spend lots of time meditating and sunbathing.

There's an obvious connection to Apollo being a solar deity and Mishima's own self-discovery with the sun and the outdoors concerning his philosophy of the Sun and the Steel and the abandonment of hidden-away nocturnal thinking.

[harukakalt]

Thomas Cromwell Study

[harukakalt]

Character design study: Henry VIII

[y2kaestheticinstitute]

‘sound-bar’ nightclub, designed by Slick+Design (2004)

226 W. Ontario St, Chicago IL

[nobrashfestivity]

Unknown. Cat's Wedding. Vietnam.

[lianasmack-blog1-deactivated201]

Chiaki Kuriyama in Shinwa-Shoujo (“Girl of Myth”), photographed by Kishin Shinoyama

[satanasnati]

lips of thomas by marina abramovic (1975)

[bizarrobrain]

Mechanical Violator Hakaider (1995) - Directed by Keita Amemiya

[valerian]

1. Nobuyoshi Araki, January 16 1983 issue of Weekly Heibon Punch

2. Shinjuku, March 2024

[zegalba]

Ogamiyama Shrine Okunomiya

[stephaniepriscillart]

Pick your quote 🌸🖤💋✨🌿

[peashooter85]

The Mexican Model 1936 and 1954 bolt action rifle,

For decades Mexico had been a proud user of the Mauser rifle, importing Mauser actioned rifles from Germany during the Mexican Revolution, then producing their own indigenous designs based upon the famous Gewehr 98 rifle. .  Mexico’s early bolt action designs were very German in appearance and functionality as Mexico at the time was under the German Empire’s sphere of influence  However after World War I and nearing World World II, Mexico drifted away from Germany and cozied up to the United States, a fact which would become apparent with subsequent rifle designs during and after the 1930’s.

The Mexican Model 1936 was a new rifle designed by the Mexican Army to replace older Mexican Mauser designs.  A bolt action rifle, the Model 1936 was still a 98 Mauser action, however it had the features of an American Springfield 1903 (also a Mauser action).  In fact, some of the parts of the rifle were of Springfield manufacture.  The bolt had a Springfield cocking knob, an item lacking on European Mausers.  The Model 1936 also utilized the barrel bands.  The stock is also done in a distinctly American style, with a semi pistol grip and widened stock in front of the magazine to use as a palm rest as well as finger indentations at the foregrip.  The Model 1936 was chambered for 7x57mm, a caliber traditionally used by Spain and Latin American nations.

The Model 1936 was to arm the newly reformed Mexican Army throughout World War II, a war that Mexico was intent on sending an expeditionary for to as a part of the Allied Powers.  However due to production and budget problems, the only expeditionary force sent by Mexico during the war was a single fighter squadron of the Mexican Air Force.  Production of the Model 1936 continued up to 1954, with some being produced and imported by FN, Belgium, but most being manufactured in Mexico City.  In 1954, the Model 1954 was introduced, which was the same rifle only chambered for .30-06.  It remained in production for only two years before the Mexican Army adopted semi-automatics.

[peashooter85]

Silver mounted miquelet pistol, Spanish Colonial Mexico, 18th century.

from Czerny’s International Auction House

[peashooter85]

Colt Model 1855 percussion revolving carbine with shortened barrel and Republic of Mexico marking.

from Rock Island Auctions

[peashooter85]

Ornate miquelet pistol originating from Mexico, late 18th century.

[peashooter85]

The Brown Bess Musket of the Mexican Army,

The Brown Bess is typically viewed as the musket of empire for the British Army during the 1700’s and Napoleonic Wars.  However the Brown Bess was the AK-47 of its day; mass produced and exported all over the world.  One user was the newly independent nation of Mexico, which had recently won its independence from Spain in 1821.  A largely agricultural nation, Mexico had no means to produce weapons of their own.  So the new nation purchased most of their arms from other nations, more specifically Britain.

Most of the Brown Bess muskets delivered by the British were Long Land Pattern, Short Pattern, and India Pattern muskets that were surplus from the Napoleonic Wars.  After seeing heavy use, many were old and worn, thus they were often sold at a discount.  Thousands were purchased and were used to arm the largely peasant conscript army of the Empire of Mexico.  The Mexican Brown Bess would become the main arm of Mexican Army under the command of General and President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.  It saw action during the Texas Revolution in 1835 and even continued in use during the Mexican American War in 1846.

While serviceable and functional in the 1820’s and 30’s, the continued use of the Brown Bess by Mexico would later become a detriment for its army.  When the United States declared war on Mexico in 1846 the flintlock Brown Bess was still the main weapon of the Mexican Army. By then the Brown Bess was considered a quaint antique, with its flintlock firing mechanism obsolete whereas most other nations had adopted more effective and reliable percussion muskets.  During the Mexican American War, the Mexican Army was always at a grave disadvantage, as the old flintlock Brown Bess was no match for the American’s modern percussion Springfield M1842 musket which was more accurate and more reliable.  Furthermore some American soldiers were armed with even more advanced Hall breech loading rifles and Colt revolvers. Mexico’s inferiority of arms and inability to modernize was one of many factors that led to a resounding American victory and terrible defeat for Mexico.  Indeed the defeat was costly as vast territories of the American Southwest were ceded to the United States, reducing Mexican territory by almost half in 1848.