Vintage phrenology bust

Phrenology heads, also known as phrenological busts or crania, are plaster or ceramic models of the human head that were used to teach and study phrenology, a pseudoscientific theory developed in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The practice of phrenology was based on the belief that the shape and size of the human skull were related to the individual's mental abilities and personality traits. It involved feeling the bumps and contours of the skull to identify and analyse the different areas of the brain that were thought to correspond to specific personality traits.

Phrenology heads were used to demonstrate the various areas of the brain that were believed to control different aspects of behaviour and personality. The heads typically featured marked areas indicating different faculties such as "love," "cautiousness," "combativeness," and "veneration," among others. The bumps and depressions on the head were thought to correspond to the size and more... strength of each faculty.

Phrenology heads were widely used in Europe and North America in the 19th century, and were often used by phrenologists as a tool for diagnosis and treatment. However, the practice of phrenology was eventually discredited as a pseudoscience, and the use of phrenology heads declined as the theory fell out of favour.

While phrenology is no longer considered a valid science, phrenology heads are historical artifacts and considered as curiosities, and are collected by enthusiasts of medical and scientific history. less...