ARTH 2120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Bonacolsi, Taxidermy, Himalayas
26 Feb 2019
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Document Summary
Precursors, establishment (louvre), development of natural history museums. Taxonomic displays of collections were first used to help understand evolution of species. Anthropologists became involved in natural history museums. By the end of the 19th century, more realistic/natural taxidermy displays could be created. Many of the holdings of the early museums seems strange to the modern naturalist. Unicorns horn, thought capable of foiling prisoners or assassins: horns of rhinos or other animals that were used, as well as sea unicorns or fossils. Giants bones were found in many collections, though they actually might be of mammoths, elephants, or fossil remains. Egyptian mummies were greatly sought after for mummy powder was sold by apothecaries to stop the flow of blood or heal bruises and fractures. Serpents" tongues (in reality, fossil teeth of sharks) 14th century mantua gonzaga family took an insurrection to depose bonacolsi who had ruled for a century and amassed a large palace.
