Taster, 2025
Cast bronze, wool, cast aluminium, glass. 101 x 62 x 68 cm
A person dips a precious bezoar stone into their wine, waiting for it to sweat or change color. Next, they dip a fossilized shark tooth into their food and pause to wait for a reaction. They particularly collect Maltese fossilized shark teeth (glossopetrae), as they are believed to have special magical powers against poisons. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, poisoning food or drink was the easiest way to eliminate an enemy or an undesirable person. Courts had tasters who tested the safety of food. In addition to tasters, it was believed that gemstones were good at detecting poisons. Gemstone pendants were considered essential and highly effective poison detectors, as well as protection against the evil eye. Bezoars were the most valuable. They weren’t actually gemstones but rather clumps of hair or fur that had become compacted into stone inside an animal’s stomach.
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