Silver
2004
Date&Material
Landscape in Summer Night
Bell Crickets -Homoeogryllus japonicus- are insects of the order
Orthoptera, family Gryllidae, are large insects in the family in
Japan. It is supposed they have two wings, yet have four immediately
after emergence from larvae, and the hindwings are subsequently
removed by the hindlegs. As they are named, chirrup of which
resembles tinkling bells, formerly was believed that was the sound of
wind goes through pine trees, so that were also named Pine Crickets.
It is said Bell Crickets were named Pine Crickets, or Pine Crikets
were named Bell Crickets, or was frequently confused.
Male Bell Crickets' wings are wide and have developed veins. The
thick part of the veins are formed like rasps, vertically lifted up
and rubbed quickly to chirp beautifully.
Since in ancient times, the chirrup has been an object of pleasure.
Among the aristcrats in Heian period, it was a hobby to have Bell
Crickets in cages, and the artificial breeding started from Edo period.
Currently, farmed Bell Crickets could be bought easily, also wild
Bell Crickets could be seen in the whole country.
Incidentally, the insects which have the most popular chirrup are
Bell Crickets, and Kantan -Oecanthus longicauda- called the king of
chirping insects.
The scientific basis for their pleasant chirrup are the frequency of the
sounds, Bell Crickets' are 4000Hz to 4500Hz, Kantans' are 2000Hz, and
human voices' are roughly 30Hz to 100Hz, even Maria Callas's -whom
was called the best soprano in the world, admired for her beautiful
high-pitched voice- was 1000Hz to 1200Hz, that indicates Kantans' are
two times higher.
The humans are able to hear approximately 30000Hz at the maximum,
and the most comfortable frequency for them is 3000Hz to 5000Hz that
is equivalent to orchestral music.
This is the reason why people love Bell crickets' chirrup.
In addition, all kinds of phones (e.g. mobile phones, international
phones...)
are not able to receive the chirrups, because of the ranges formed to
receive 300Hz to 3400Hz, yet the chirrups' are 4000Hz that people can
not
hear through phones.
This is my first Jizai Okimono had been made in Kyoto under the
supervision
of the master, spent a month during my summer vacation when I was a
third-years student at the university.
The body parts of both the male and the female Bell Crickets were
made with
milling, not able to move spontaneously, yet their legs and wings are
movable.
The male's wings were designed to be lifted up vertically and spread
towards
both sides, to reproduce a real Bell Cricket.
Despite its structural defect, this is the reminiscence of the
beginning.