Counting bodies, posting photos, despairing of British politics.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Zwaarte Piet?
The Dutch fondness for caricature Negro figures is somewhat disturbing. I have no idea why this figurehead sits above a drugstore, of all places. Can anyone enlighten me?
It has something to do with these old figureheads (literally) being models for apothecaries before the general population was literate. Thus, if you saw a doorway with a head like this prominently displayed above or beside it, you knew it was the business of a pharmacist or a dentist or something. I'm not making this up,I swear.
3 comments:
It has something to do with these old figureheads (literally) being models for apothecaries before the general population was literate. Thus, if you saw a doorway with a head like this prominently displayed above or beside it, you knew it was the business of a pharmacist or a dentist or something. I'm not making this up,I swear.
You truly do learn something new every day!
And do not forget that the dutch were a colonizing power... I think at least
Post a Comment