Iwashi Lasendulo
● Cishe iwashi lasungulwa eChina eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-900 edlule. Kusukela lapho, inkulu intuthuko eyenziwe emawashini. Evelele, yenziwa ngo-1600, lapho kuqala ukusetshenziswa kothi lwewashi. Ngenxa yale ntuthuko, amawashi anemba kangangokuba kwanezelwa olunye uthi olubala imizuzu! Lo mklamo omusha—onesigaxa esinyakazayo, insimbi enesisindo nomshini onesisinjwana esingatheni owenza iwashi lisebenze—kwakudinga ukufakwa ebhokisini elide elivaleka kahle. Umphumela waba yilokho okwabe sekwaziwa kabanzi ngokuthi ibhokisi elisambhoshongo noma iwashi lomkhulu. Omunye ungoti wamawashi uwabiza ngokuthi “abagcini besikhathi abathembeke kakhulu ngisho nangaphansi kwezimo ezingezinhle.”a
Ekuqaleni, la mawashi abizayo ayenziwa emadolobheni amakhulu aseYurophu kuphela, njengaseLondon naseParis. Kodwa kancane kancane ukwenziwa kwawo kwasabalalela nasezingxenyeni ezikude zezwekazi laseYurophu. Ngakho, lo mklamo oyinhloko waqala ukuba nemihlobiso ehlukahlukene kuye ngendawo owenziwe kuyo. Leli washi lingase liqonde noma lithi ukugoba, libe lincane noma libe likhulu. Lingenziwa ngokhuni lukaphayini, lomsimbithi omnyama, lwe-mahogany, lwe-oki noma lwe-walnut futhi ibhokisi lalo lingayekwa linjalo noma lihlotshiswe. Ngakho-ke, leli washi lasendulo lalithandwa kakhulu hhayi nje ngokugcina kwalo isikhathi kuphela kodwa nangenxa yokuthi ubuhle nesithunzi salo kwenezela ebuhleni bempahla yasendlini.
Kungase kube nesinye isizathu esenza abantu baqhubeke bekhangwa yileli washi lasendulo. Ngandlela-thile libonakala lime njengomuntu. Umcwaningi waseFinland uDkt. Sinikka Mäntylä uyaphawula, “Licishe lilingane nomuntu ovamile futhi linobuso obuchaza indaba.” Umsindo wokuphenduka kothi lwalo uthi awufane nowokushaya kwenhliziyo. Namuhla, amawashi anembile futhi angabizi enziwe ngomshini okuthiwa i-quarts, asethathe indawo yala mawashi amakhulu enziwe ngobuciko. Kodwa ngisho nakulezi zikhathi zethu ezimatasa, ukuba khona kwala mawashi amadala kusawubangela umuzwa wokuzola. Incwadi ethi Keeping Time—Collecting and Caring for Clocks iyaphawula: “Iwashi elinebhokisi elisambhoshongo nothi lwalo olunyakaza kancane, ngandlela-thile lingabangela nokuzola emoyeni futhi lisenza sicabange ngenkathi yokuthula.”
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Igama elithi iwashi lomkhulu, njengoba libizwa kanjalo leli washi kwamanye amazwe, kuthiwa lisuselwa engomeni edumile yango-1876 ethi “My Grandfather’s Clock.”
[Isithombe ekhasini 19]
Iwashi cishe elihlehlela emuva ekuqaleni kwawo-1800