The Ark

28cm x 10cm x 7cm

 

Description

Wooden box, cotton reels, needle packs & button card with animal lables

 

Themes, comments & storylines

 

The collectors of early modernity to gathered the wonders of the world in their cabinets of curiosities, so that they could study the mysteries of the universe in the microcosm of their collection. The Wunderkammer’s ultimate aim was to capture and represent the entire diversity and richness of the world, much like Noah's ark once carried a pair of all living creatures.

The botanist and gardener John Tradescent (1570 – 1638)  named his collection The Ark. It was catalogued by his son John (1608 – 1662) jointly with Elias Ashmole (1617 – 1692) and became the foundation of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

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