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...

9 items found:

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L.N. Fowler ceramic 'Phrenology' head, approx 27 cm high

Ceramic Phrenology Head - 27 cm Tall

L.N. Fowler ceramic 'Phrenology' head, approx 27 cm high

Phrenology bust by L.N. Fowler bust, approx 29 cm high

L.N. Fowler Phrenology Bust - 29 cm High

Phrenology bust by L.N. Fowler bust, approx 29 cm high

A glazed porcelain phrenology bust. 30 cm

Glazed Porcelain Phrenology Bust - 30 cm

A glazed porcelain phrenology bust. 30 cm

A porcelain Phrenology head. 47 cm high.

Porcelain Phrenology Head: 47cm of Cranial Analysis

A porcelain Phrenology head. 47 cm high.

Two Victorian phrenology busts, 19th century, one by L. N.…

Victorian Phrenology Busts by Fowler and Bridges

Two Victorian phrenology busts, 19th century, one by L. N. Fowler, the other by F. Bridges Phrenologist (2), height 28 cm, 11 cm. Provenance: The Estate of Lady Gabriella Brenner, Bellevue Hill, NSW

A glazed ceramic phrenology head by L. N. Fowler

Ceramic Phrenology Head by L.N. Fowler

A glazed ceramic phrenology head by L. N. Fowler

Phrenology in early Melbourne, four written and printed reports…

Phrenology Reports on Melbourne Residents in 1850s

Phrenology in early Melbourne, four written and printed reports on the 'Character and talents' of Melbourne residents of the 1850s, mixed condition., October 1856 - an adult male assessed by Philomon Sohier (at Sohier's Phrenological cabinet, 18 Gt.…

Vintage cased Fowler Phrenology head with a wooden box along…

Antique Phrenology Head and Book Set

Vintage cased Fowler Phrenology head with a wooden box along with an antique 1885 paper back, Heads and Faces, and how to study Them, by Nelson Sizer and H.S Drayton, Fowler and Wells Co, case 24 cm high, 32 cm wide, 18 cm deep

A porcelain phrenology bust, 46 cm high, 25 cm wide, 20 cm deep

Phrenology Bust: Porcelain Study of the Human Mind

A porcelain phrenology bust, 46 cm high, 25 cm wide, 20 cm deep