Phrenology Heads
Phrenology is a pseudoscience originating in the late 18th century, ushered in by Viennese physiologist Franz Joseph Gall, based on the belief that studying the size and shape of various regions across the human skull could indicate an individual’s personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses. There were between 27 and 35 faculties said to be revealed by studying the landscape of the skull, revealing attributes ranging from sexual desire to combativeness, secretiveness, self-esteem, reverence, and many others.
Today the practice is essentially defunct, having long been discredited since the mid-1800s, but the fascination around its curious methods still remains.
Among the relics left behind are phrenology heads. A phrenology head is a three-dimensional model of a human head, usually including the bust, and the principal tool used in phrenology lectures, teachings, and demonstrations. Many phrenology heads were made from plaster, then coated with flesh-colored paint.
Authentic vintage phrenology heads like this rare original doctor’s phrenology head inkwell and inkstand offered by Quirky Antiques Store are somewhat challenging to locate. But if you’re not a collector and just looking for a phrenology head to match your oddities aesthetic, thankfully there are several beautifully-crafted replicas out there that capture all the original weirdness without the antique price tag.
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Article References
Phrenology: The Study of Skull Shape and Behavior, Simply Psychology
How a Phrenology Head was Traditionally Used, Very Well Mind
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