![Tintinnabulum
In ancient Rome, a tintinnabulum was a wind chime or assemblage of bells. A tintinnabulum often took the form of a bronze phallic figure with wings, or fascinum, a magico-religious phallus thought to ward off the evil eye and bring good fortune and prosperity. It was hung outdoors in locations such as gardens, porticoes, houses, and shops, where the wind would cause them to tinkle. The sounds of bells were believed to keep away evil spirits [From Wikipedia].](http://24.media.tumblr.com/8afa2a48c82777a2801ce596d9ec088c/tumblr_mheu44TTTF1rnseozo1_500.jpg)
In ancient Rome, a tintinnabulum was a wind chime or assemblage of bells. A tintinnabulum often took the form of a bronze phallic figure with wings, or fascinum, a magico-religious phallus thought to ward off the evil eye and bring good fortune and prosperity. It was hung outdoors in locations such as gardens, porticoes, houses, and shops, where the wind would cause them to tinkle. The sounds of bells were believed to keep away evil spirits [From Wikipedia].
(Source: revoada.net)
Family picnicking on top of a felled Sequoia with their car, 1917
(via collectivehistory)
A Caganer is a figurine depicted in the act of defecation appearing in nativity scenes in Catalonia and neighbouring areas with Catalan culture. The exact origin of the Caganer is lost, but the caganer is a particular and highly popular feature of modern Catalan nativity scenes. It is believed to have entered the nativity scene by the late 17th-early 18th century, during the Baroque period. The eminent folklorist, Joan Amades, called it an essential piece and the most popular figure of the nativity scene.
My question: More popular than baby Jesus?
Possible explanations can be found here.
Advent Calendar of Oddments 2012: December 5th
![Ancient North Korean Unicorn Lair
North Korea[n] historians have allegedly announced that they have unearthed a unicorn lair. A report released by the History Institute of the DPRK Academy of Social Sciences claims that archaeologists discovered the lair of the mythical animal just outside a temple in the capital Pyongyang.
In what appears to be a suggestion of superiority over nearby enemies South Korea, the report says:
The discovery of the unicorn lair, associated with legend about King Tongmyong, proves that Pyongyang was a capital city of Ancient Korea as well as Koguryo Kingdom. A rectangular rock carved with words “Unicorn Lair” stands in front of the lair. The carved words are believed to date back to the period of Koryo Kingdom (918-1392). The temple served as a relief palace for King Tongmyong, in which there is the lair of his unicorn.
Jo Hui Sung, director of the Institute, told KCNA, the state news agency, that the findings is in keeping with the country’s history.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mebrhcwAbI1rnseozo1_1280.jpg)
North Korea[n] historians have allegedly announced that they have unearthed a unicorn lair. A report released by the History Institute of the DPRK Academy of Social Sciences claims that archaeologists discovered the lair of the mythical animal just outside a temple in the capital Pyongyang.
In what appears to be a suggestion of superiority over nearby enemies South Korea, the report says:
The discovery of the unicorn lair, associated with legend about King Tongmyong, proves that Pyongyang was a capital city of Ancient Korea as well as Koguryo Kingdom. A rectangular rock carved with words “Unicorn Lair” stands in front of the lair. The carved words are believed to date back to the period of Koryo Kingdom (918-1392). The temple served as a relief palace for King Tongmyong, in which there is the lair of his unicorn.
Jo Hui Sung, director of the Institute, told KCNA, the state news agency, that the findings is in keeping with the country’s history.
Decades before Saturday Night Live immortalized genitalia ensconced in storage containers using the power of song, rascals of the Victorian era had long perfected this art. In 2008, Christie’s auctioned off ”a spring-loaded erotic carved wood novelty box, perhaps 19th century, 8 in. (20 cm.) long” for $1,214. Is this a bargain? Well, that answer depends on your propensity for knicker-twisting japes that would knock the starch out of a Whig.
The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) is a privately owned museum whose stated aim is “to celebrate the labor of artists whose work would be displayed and appreciated in no other forum”. Its permanent collection includes 500 pieces of “art too bad to be ignored”.
Image 1: Lucy in the Field with Flowers (oil on canvas by Unknown; acquired from trash in Boston) remains a favorite with the news media and patrons. As the first work acquired by the museum, Lucy is “a painting so powerful it commands its own preservation for posterity”, setting a standard by which all future acquisitions would be compared.
Image 2: In 1996, the painting Eileen, by R. Angelo Le, vanished from MOBA. Eileen was acquired from the trash, and features a rip in the canvas where someone slashed it with a knife even before the museum acquired it, “adding an additional element of drama to an already powerful work”, according to MOBA. The museum offered a reward of $6.50 for the return of Eileen, but the work remained unrecovered for many years. The Boston Police listed the crime as “larceny, other”, and [the MOBA Director] was reported saying she was unable to establish a link between the disappearance of Eileen and a notorious heist at Boston’s famed Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum that occurred in 1990.
Image 3: Think Again: This disturbing work “makes an offer you can’t refuse”. The chilling, matter-of-fact manner in which the subject presents the severed head to us is a poignant reminder of just how numb we have become. The understated violence implicit in the scene speaks volumes on our own desensitization, our society’s reflexive use of force, and the artist’s inability to deal with the hindquarters of the animal.
Image 4: Charlie and Sheeba: No longer able to tolerate the incessant barking, Charlie the Chipmunk used a band-aid to tape Sheba the Sheepdog’s mouth shut before posing with her on the picnic table.
(Source: Wikipedia)
The Bearded Woman Breastfeeding by Jusepe de Ribera. 1631.
Sending a child through the post, 1900
“After parcel post service was introduced, at least two children were sent by the service. With stamps attached to their clothing, the children rode with railway and city carriers to their destination. The Postmaster General quickly issued a regulation forbidding the sending of children in the mail after hearing of those examples.”
My nan once won a banana in a writing competition at school. This just reminded me of that.
![A 1903 patent for eye protection for chickens:
‘This invention relates to eye-protectors, and more particularly to eye-protectors designed for fowls, so that they may be protected from other fowls that might attempt to peck them…’ [Source]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6x1t7lzRX1rnseozo1_1280.png)
A 1903 patent for eye protection for chickens:
‘This invention relates to eye-protectors, and more particularly to eye-protectors designed for fowls, so that they may be protected from other fowls that might attempt to peck them…’ [Source]
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