Since we are currently talking a lot about hygiene, I wanted to dedicate this post to a sanitary amenity that has meanwhile lost its original societal role: the bidet. Invented in France in the 17th century, its main function was to serve as a post-coital vaginal douche. Up until the 1960s (when the pill took […]
Category: Cabinet of curiosities
Susanne Margarethe Brandt (Gretchen)
Johann W. Goethe used the tragic life of Susanne Margarethe Brandt (1746-1772) in his Faust for the creation of the character Gretchen. The young maid from Frankfurt became pregnant at the age of 24. Fearing that she might lose her job—a common fate for pregnant women and those who gave birth in secret—she did not tell […]
The Color Pink
Historically, the color pink has been associated, at least in Europe, with the male gender. Red was considered the color of blood, eros, and power, connecting it, in turn, with ideas of physical strength and manhood. The color pink, “the little red,” as the diluted version of red (a color, it should be mentioned, that […]
Manti
Manti are Turkish dumplings, traditionally filled with lamb, served in soups or with yoghurt. They vary greatly in size. The smaller the manti, the more hard working and thorough the cook (often a woman) is thought to be. The form of the manti is, therefore, a direct reflection on character. When a couple becomes engaged in […]
Leopard Fur
Leopard fur was originally (and in some cultures still is) worn by kings as a status symbol, representing authority and dominance over nature. The rarity of the animals also makes it very desirable for trophy-hunters. The fur therefore symbolizes—in a universal, toxically masculine way—power, triumph, and success. The 1940s and the women’s movement used the […]
Saint Agata
I came across this dessert during my recent trip to Catania, Sicily. These breast-shaped desserts are called „minne di Sant’Agata“ and reference the martyrdom of Saint Agata. She is the patron of bakers, as well as breast cancer patients and rape victims. Saint Agata lived during the second century CE. A devout Christian, she refused […]
Biedermeier Kitchen/Doll
I found this children’s toy in the Biedermeier section (1815-1848) in the permanent collection of the German Historical Museum in Berlin. This doll dates from around 1850 and was most likely made in Thuringia, in the German Reich. At the time, the thought immerged that toys should be considered pedagogical objects that prepare boys and […]
Thundra
Thundra is a Marvel Comics female super hero. She is a femizon (a powerful Amazon-like woman), who populates the world in the 23rd century—called Femizonia—where women live in matrifocal family structures. She has a genetically engineered daughter Lyra, who is a savage She-Hulk.
Shakespeare’s Sister
“Let me imagine, what would have happened had Shakespeare had a wonderfully gifted sister, called Judith, let us say. […] She picked up a book now and then, one of her brother’s perhaps, and read a few pages. But then her parents came in and told her to mend the stockings or mind the stew. […]
The Immortals: Ho Hsien Ku & Tsao Kuo Chiou
Ho Hsien Ku – the immortal woman (or health goddess) – is one of the Eight Immortals of the Taoist pantheon. At a young age, a god approached her in a dream and instructed her to eat stones in order to achieve immortality. She is the healer of both physical and emotional wounds. Ho Hsien […]