Illustrated book for the special exhibition "Orakel - The View into the Future", Museum Rietberg Zurich, 1999 (382 pages) - one of the most complex exhibition projects - graphically excellently designed, with loans from around 50 international institutions (including from the Museum of Ethnology in Munich, now Museum Five Continents), primarily from the Mediterranean, Asia and Africa. Thematically it ranges from oracles from ancient times to tarot cards. The Oracle of Delphi was long enjoyed in ancient Greece and ambiguous answers were a means of proving oneself right. By the way, of interest: King Croesus (known for his wealth, for example) also surveyed around 550 BC. BC the oracle (the prophesying priestess was Pythia), at least in this case successfully based on his favorite dish, namely turtle, cooked together with lamb (but more famous is the oracle in which he became the tragic victim of his own interpretation). The oracles of prehistoric times include turtle oracles from China (from around 220 BC), with characters on the smoother inner sides of the floor armor (see also my replica of such an oracle, brought back from Beijing). Also worth mentioning are animal and rubbing oracles from Africa (often made of wood, but also from the back shells of turtles) and a natural turtle with "Eight Trigrams" (unglazed stoneware from the Han Dynasty, China, 25 - 220 AD). The title of the second book (2012, 184 pages) speaks for itself. The illustrated book contains the results of the photo competition initiated by Thorsten Geier (with many award-winning photos). There is a short introduction to each chapter. Sales support selected turtle projects. [hint: this is an automatic translation from German]   |   Category: Non-fiction books   |   Material: Papier   |   Country of origin: Zurich, Switzerland | Similar pieces