Cabinet of Rarities - Anatomical, Medical and Horrific

Rarity cabinets, the ancestors of modern natural history museums, hold evidence of various episodes in natural history and human history, and many of their exhibits are genuine works of art. These objects, sometimes evoking horror, have their own stories, which can tell us much about both the living and the dead. The book by the renowned French specialist in archaeology, anthropology, and thanatology, Juliette Cazé, illustrated with rare images from museum, university, and private collections across Europe, will tell you about forgotten traditions, ghastly experiments, and priceless rarities. From human mummies to blood-curdling anatomical deformities, from severed hands and feet to bindings made of human skin, from models of eyes indistinguishable from the real ones to death masks – you will encounter both very real objects and entities cloaked in a shroud of mystifications! «This book is designed to immerse you in a unique world, a world of passions and unusual finds that deserves your attention. I hope that in the end, after looking at all these items through my eyes, you yourself will feel the interest and respect for the role they played in science and history.» (Juliette Cazé)