Lots of skulls
January 3, 2019 9:56 AM   Subscribe

Ongoing twitter thread of 40 Favorite Historical Objects (they are mainly medical, anatomical or related) by historian and writer Dr Lindsey Fitzharris. Number 14 - '18th-century dildo with plunger to simulate ejaculation' has a spin off thread of its own diverging into information on Penitentials re strap-ons and fish (perhaps not surprisingly, links may be nsfw)
posted by fearfulsymmetry (10 comments total) 25 users marked this as a favorite


 
Metafilter: diverging into information on Penitentials re strap-ons and fish
posted by Melismata at 10:07 AM on January 3, 2019


Fish in the fanny! Don't tell GOOP!!

I'm dying here!
posted by Splunge at 10:08 AM on January 3, 2019 [2 favorites]


"If you have done this you shall do penance for five years on legitimate holy days."

For, um, each incident, or is it a group deal?
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:17 AM on January 3, 2019 [3 favorites]


#34 is possibly the prettiest Dance of Death I've ever seen.

I've had nightmares that look a lot like #16.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:20 PM on January 3, 2019


I don't know what's the best part: The exquisitely carved dildo itself, the lengths of verisimilitude to the point of the inclusion of ejaculation, or just that it was found hidden, forgotten in a convent, presumably having thrilled some nuns :D
posted by Eleven at 12:25 PM on January 3, 2019 [2 favorites]


When Galileo’s body was exhumed in 1737, three of his fingers were cut off. One of them is now on display at the Galileo Museum, Florence.
If there is any justice, the back of that finger is aimed at the Vatican.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:31 PM on January 3, 2019 [2 favorites]


In #15:
Note the rod with two snakes. Many mistake it for the Rod of Asclepius (the traditional symbol of healing). This is the Caduceus, symbol of commerce.
Something something American health care system.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:53 PM on January 3, 2019 [11 favorites]



#13 of my 40 FAVOURITE HISTORY OBJECTS: a mummified cat found in the floorboards of an early 19th-century house in Britain. During this period, it was customary to hide dried or mummified cats within the walls to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to the inhabitants.
I CAN HAZ AMONTILLADO?!?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:57 PM on January 3, 2019 [11 favorites]


And number 6 has just made me re-examine everything I thought I knew about renaissance sculpture. I mean, holy crap. I wouldn't have blinked if I had walked past that statue in the Tate Modern.
posted by Eleven at 12:58 PM on January 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


#31 of my 40 FAVOURITE HISTORY OBJECTS: Three glass eyes with portable velvet carrying case & mirror, c.1870. These were likely meant to be carried by an ocularist – someone who specialized in making and fitting prosthetic eyes – to assist them in making the best possible match.

It makes locating your third eye a lot easier, too.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 2:29 PM on January 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


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