File talk:Scaling ladder in ancient China.jpg

Provenance and Accuracy?

This image is being linked in four articles as an example of an ancient Chinese scaling ladder — and as there are no other scaling ladder pictures it is de facto the illustration for all of them.

However the image description makes clear that it is simply a replica at a tourist attraction. This leads to two sets of questions:

1. Provenance. If this is to be the type example of something, we should try to be exact about what it is. Of what, exactly, is it a replica? An archaeological artifact, a book illustration, an ancient art work, a modern artist's conception, what? What is the age of the thing replicated? (or at least the dynasty, if the actual age is unknown.) Is it a unique object or it it typical of some region?
2. Accuracy. How accurately does the replica represent the original type object? Is it a partial artifact, with gaps filled in by conjecture? Or even just a bare sketch that only shows the general form?

(I particularly wonder about question 2 because I believe there are several aspects of this design that are seriously impractical, almost to the extent being unfit for purpose.) -- 202.63.39.58 10:32, 15 November 2014 (UTC)