Traveling within the World
Odd Devices of Old
A place to display devices/utensils/tools/weapons of war and torture used through the ages.
above : Wooden acupuncture model, Asia, 1601-1700
In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture aims to improve the flow of qi (chi) or energy in the body by applying needles to specific points on the skin.
Tradition teaches that qi must flow freely through the body's meridians, or channels, to ensure health and well-being. The male figure made of wood shows where needles should be applied to the skin and the meridians through which qi flows.
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Wax vanitas, Europe, 1701-1800
"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity". This verse from the biblical book of Ecclesiastes is scratched onto the front of this vanitas, a work of art intended to remind the viewer of the shortness of human life, the uselessness of vanity and the certainty of death.
This example features many symbols typical for this type of object, such as a skull and insects that feast on decaying flesh. The other side shows the face during life.
Feb 5, 2014
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Barber-surgeon's case, France, 1715-1830
A barber-surgeon's job went way beyond shaving and cutting hair. They also performed simple surgery, such as bloodletting, and treated minor wounds and injuries.
Some of the tools of the barber's trade served a dual purpose. This silk-lined oak case contains 20 shaving accessories, including an assortment of glass and pewter bottles to carry and heat water, and porcelain cups and brushes to apply shaving soap and cream to the face.
It also contains two cutthroat razors. The razors would have been ideal for opening veins while the shaving bowl, with detachable chin plate, could have been used to catch the blood.
Feb 5, 2014
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Dentist's window display, France, 1875-1885
Rather more enticing than today's adverts for questionable forms of cosmetic dentistry, this display of ivory dentures and extracted teeth graced the window of J Petit, a dentist who worked in Paris during the late 1800s.
Passers-by would have no doubt about the nature of Petit's business - even if they couldn't read. Their own teeth are unlikely to have been quite so pretty.
Feb 5, 2014