I attempted to take some photos inside, but it is too dark (flash prohibited). Well at least they show a bit of what kind of exhibits are collected inside. The bell wheel in the pic belongs in an exhibit for 17th century Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher's theories, who attempted to explain natural phenomenon and religion miracles. They built the actual bell wheel from his music theory. Other theories include 'Why the Tower of Babel Could Not Reach the Moon", "A Magnetic Oracle," etc. Some of the theories were presented in a glass boxes display that shows scenic drawings, but when you look through these lens in front of the boxes you'd see figures in them...a bit of mirror/light reflection magic trick.
Can't see shit from the pic. The exhibit is called The Eye of the Needle, works by Egyptian Hagop Sandaldjian which are these crazily tiny sculptures called "Microminiatures" that are as big/small as the hole of a needle. You need microscope to see them. The one in pic (through the microscope lens ^^;;) is supposed to be the Pope. There're also Napoleon, Goofy in the room. They are incredibly detailed, how on earth can anyone sculp something so impossibily tiny?
More crazy works that can't show by pic. These are "Micromosiac," little work of mosiacs (image of flowers and potteries) as small as a dime. When you look through the microscope you'd find these elaborate, colorful tiles of pictures.



Galleries of documented 'monsters' from history.
Dice: Deception, Fate, and Rotten Luck, a collection of dices from the past. In the dark, claustrophobic space, there's something grim and ominous about these rotting dices.

Miracles and Disasters in Renaissance and Baroque Theater Mechanics. Showcases how the stage scenery and clever machinery of Renaissance and Baroque theater works. Nice miniatures~


The Napoleon Library: This bust sculpture is Thomas Jefferson's collection.

Mixture of oddities. The wolf thing is strange, if you look through the glass cube in front, you'll see a video projection of a man impose on the wolf (who's making lots of weird noises). There are many optical illusion sets like this.
There's also an exhibit of these x-ray photographs of flowers that you can use 3D glasses to see them in their 3D-glory. Up at the second floor there's a little theater house (they were showing a Russian documentary at the time), a nice tea room (with free coffee, tea, biscuits) and a very beautifull hard wood Victorian bathroom. ^^;;;
Comments: