Ivory anatomical manikin
Joanna at the wonderful Morbid Anatomy blog posted this exquisite ivory anatomical manikin, circa 1500-1700. It's part of the National Library of Medicine's fantastic Dream Anatomy online exhibition. From the manikin description:
Previously on BB:
• Antique ivory skull statuettes
Ivory anatomical manikinThese manikins, between 6 to 7 inches in length, were made from solid pieces of ivory. The arms were carved separately and are moveable. The thoracic and abdominal walls can be removed, revealing the viscera. In some manikins the internal organs are carved in the original block and are not removable, while they are formed into separate pieces that can be removed.
Previously on BB:
• Antique ivory skull statuettes
the latest
latest episodes
Cool. But boy do I hate that way spelling of mannequin.
"My God, this is an outrage! I was going to eat that mummy."
Interesting that the subject is female, I always got the impression that old-timey anatomical inquiry was fairly unaware that women existed.
@1 Ill Lich
This isn't a mannequin - a shop dummy - it's a mannikin, a small man. "-kin" used to be a popular diminutive in English and would still be understood in some circumstances.
Oo! I thought of an example: "lambkin". If you do a google images search, it's pretty much universally an cute little lamb.
I believe catkins are so called due to their smallness and fluffiness also, but I could be wrong.
@4, who was replying to #1:
Bingo. Barbie and G.I.Joe are manikins, a tailors dummy is a mannequin. It's a little archaic, but then so is the subject under discussion. More modern alternatives would be "doll" or "poppet". Note both of these are or have been popular nicknames or epithets for young women and children.
I stand corrected. Of course as this archaic usage illustrates, the English language (and all language) is constantly changing.
Now I gotta go walk da dawg.
So what is a nextofkin?
Is a 6 inch tall Rastafarian a jamaikin?
does the nose light up?
t s ttlly rdcls tht Bng Bng nssts n sng th ttlly rchc "mnkn".
Wld y cll th jt y jst flw n n "rpln"?
Syng t "wld stll b ndrstd n sm crcmstncs" s prtty wk. vn th mst bscr trm wld b ndrstd "n sm crcmstncs."
T mst ppl, th bjct bv s >fgrn, pln nd smpl. Cllng t "mnkn" s jst bnxs.
Killing an elephant for it's ivory is still offensive even after 500 years.
I remember seeing some similar dolls when I was a child. They were antiques (real antiques, like older than any of the septuagenarians in the room) and Chinese in origin. And all female.
It was explained to me that Chinese physicians would use them with female patients so that the patient could point to parts of the anatomy that would be too embarrassing to talk about
I've not been able to find any corroborating evidence on the internet, but I remember (within the last 20 years) diagnostic dolls like this being suggested/used in the UK to help doctors communicate with Muslim women at the most 'modest' end of the spectrum.
#3, ZikZak:
Anyone who's read The Anatomist will know that the clitoris was anatomically described (as "the sweetness of Venus") by Matteo Realdo Colombo in 1559.
Da Vinci's illustration of a foetus in the womb (1511) is also a very well known anatomical image from this period.
Grey's Anatomy - Meredith had an "Anatomy Jane" doll last night that played a key role in the episode. Quite a serendipitous posting.
OR ARE THERE DEEPER FORCES AT WORK HERE????
The Worlds first edition of Operation. haha