he geographical coordinates given seem to use Paris as the prime meridian (2.33723° east of Greenwich) as on maps of the time. There is also an error in the latitude, which is actually 48° 50′ North and not 40° 50′. “At the exact point of the intersection of the meridian and the parallel” therefore refers […]
This figure vividly captures the moment when, with one long sleeve thrown back and the other trailing down, a dancer gently stoops and flexes her knees as she lifts one heel to advance her step, performing a dance described in Han dynasty poetry: “Their long sleeves, twirling and twisting, fill the hall; Gauze-stocking feet…taking mincing […]