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Unicorn (narwhale tooth replica), gold paint, paper, ink. - Sculpture size: 170 cm - Wooden crate size: 180 x 25 x 25 cm - Quote on the label: 'My most priceless treasure is the unicorn horn which doth sweat in the presence of poison and when touched to any venomous material doth have the power of transmuting them'. NICCOLO NICCOLI DE UZZANO. signed, dated, numbered 5/10 on the label // Mark Dion’s My Most Priceless Treasure (unicorn) from 2004 explores themes of mythology, science, and curiosity. This mixed-media sculpture features a replica of a narwhal tooth, symbolizing the fabled unicorn horn. Set in a wooden crate with a nostalgic label, it evokes Renaissance curiosity cabinets, where such artifacts were cherished for their supposed magical properties. The quote by Niccolò Niccoli de Uzzano reinforces the allure and mystique surrounding unicorn horns, once believed to detect and neutralize poison. Dion’s work critiques and celebrates the history of natural history, blending fact with legend.
My Most Priceless Treasure (unicorn), 2004
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180 x 25 X 25 cm
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Details
Artist
Styles
Unicorn (narwhale tooth replica), gold paint, paper, ink. - Sculpture size: 170 cm - Wooden crate size: 180 x 25 x 25 cm - Quote on the label: 'My most priceless treasure is the unicorn horn which doth sweat in the presence of poison and when touched to any venomous material doth have the power of transmuting them'. NICCOLO NICCOLI DE UZZANO. signed, dated, numbered 5/10 on the label // Mark Dion’s My Most Priceless Treasure (unicorn) from 2004 explores themes of mythology, science, and curiosity. This mixed-media sculpture features a replica of a narwhal tooth, symbolizing the fabled unicorn horn. Set in a wooden crate with a nostalgic label, it evokes Renaissance curiosity cabinets, where such artifacts were cherished for their supposed magical properties. The quote by Niccolò Niccoli de Uzzano reinforces the allure and mystique surrounding unicorn horns, once believed to detect and neutralize poison. Dion’s work critiques and celebrates the history of natural history, blending fact with legend.
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Mark Dion
My Most Priceless Treasure (unicorn), 2004
Sculpture / Object
Mixed Media
EUR 8,400
Mark Dion
Emanations Of The Earth, 2017
Sculpture / Object
Plaster
Currently Not Available
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