Not your grandma's sampler : bioephemera

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bioephemera is art + biology - everything from representations of science in art and literature to the neuroscience of aesthetics.

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Not your grandma's sampler

Category: Ephemera • Medical Illustration and History • Museum Lust • Wonder Cabinets
Posted on: August 27, 2008 5:03 PM, by Jessica Palmer

Surgical suture sampler, circa 18th cen.
Zurich Medical History Museum
Photo from Ickybitty's photostream

. . . unless your grandma was a trauma surgeon. This antique sampler from the Medical History Museum in Zurich represents a variety of stitch techniques appropriate for different anatomical regions and types of injury. Both the embroidery and the illustrated backing are rendered in remarkable detail:

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Comments

That is just stunning. I'm cheering Ickybitty for taking the picture so I could see it and cursing him/her for not taking detail shots of everything.

Posted by: Stephanie Z | August 27, 2008 8:37 PM

Wow, that's gorgeous. I've been wanting to make a sampler myself...

Posted by: Annie | August 29, 2008 9:55 PM

Oh my God, this is fantastic! It has the feel of a homey sampler, the texture and multimedia of modern collage, and the faint creepiness of an anatomy textbook. Marvelous stuff.

Posted by: Signout | September 1, 2008 2:59 PM

Ohhh, this is facinating! Love the whole idea ~ looks beautiful but makes you turn away... Great find!

Posted by: Ulla | September 4, 2008 12:30 PM

Stephanie - the original photo on flickr is pretty big - you can probably scroll around on it and see most of what you want. The detail is pretty darn incredible - I have no idea why this treasure isn't more widely known. (I happened upon it totally by chance while researching another post.)

Posted by: Jessica Palmer | September 5, 2008 12:53 PM

I did do some of that, but I'm greedy. I want to see the illustrations better. I do know a FOAF who's headed back to Geneva about now, though. Maybe I can interest her in a short trip with a camera. I'll let you know if that works out.

Posted by: Stephanie Z | September 5, 2008 1:07 PM

Great idea, Stephanie! I was just about to suggest that one of us go to Zurich in person to take more photos. . . I mean, it's for Science, right? (and/or Art). Darn it, I wish I could. . .

Posted by: Jessica Palmer | September 5, 2008 1:23 PM

Yeah, me too. Not this year.

If I have to choose between science and art, I usually pick art. Not that science isn't important. Art just generally has fewer people standing up to say it's important. Something about all the intangibles, I suppose.

Posted by: Stephanie Z | September 5, 2008 4:39 PM