The Odditoreum |
Dragon's Blood
Dragon’s Blood is actually a bright red resin that is made from the sap of a tree. It was used through history as a dye, a varnish, a medicine and in ritual magic. These Dragon's Blood samples, wrapped in palm leaves are from the Museum’s Botanical collection, still with their old label inside.
The Liquorices Allsorts Shoe
This giant shoe is actually a tricycle! Look closely and you’ll see the handle bars. It was ridden in the Closing Ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games, in Sydney.
Teachers notes 
Odditoreum on Flickr
From 27 June
The Odditoreum is a very unique display featuring a selection of weird and wonderful curiosities from deep within the vaults of the Museum’s collection.
The objects have been carefully selected by the Museum for their own peculiarity, creating a display of oddities not normally seen. These objects have in turn been transformed by children’s author and illustrator Shaun Tan, who has created intriguing stories for each object blurring fact and fantasy.
Tan is the author and illustrator of award-winning books The red tree and The lost thing and his work was recently included in the New York Times’ top 10 list of illustrated children’s books.
Who do you write and illustrate for? is a question often put to Tan. His reply: ‘…anyone who reads and looks. That is, anyone who is curious, who enjoys strangeness, mystery and oddity, who like asking questions and using their imagination….’
For Tan, the strangeness of each object in The Odditoreum is where the trigger for his imagination is drawn. He has turned a short factual description into a chemical reaction of ideas resulting in a very potent and funny mix that will inspire the curiosity of visitors young and old.
The objects in The Odditoreum will be no less intriguing when you discover what they actually are! These include a giant licorice allsorts shoe, a metal griffin, horse’s teeth, an oversized model of a silkworm moth and many more.
Young visitors can also let their imaginations soar by writing their own labels and stories about the weird and wonderful oddities on display.
PUBLICATION
The Odditoreum contains a parade of curiosities large and small from deep within the vaults of the Powerhouse Museum. Award-winning author and illustrator Shaun Tan has created an intriguing story for each, blurring fact and fantasy, in a very potent and funny mix for readers of all ages. And he’s left some pages blank, so you can write your own fanciful stories!
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