Molly Cameron
November 3rd, 2017
ENGL-491-A
DiPasquale
Daisy
Fried, Ippopotamo
Text: Women's
Poetry:
Poems And Advice
Ippopotamo
assisted readymade, La Specola, Florence
You are looking to a specimen
whose exact age is unknown,
but it must be ca. 300 years old
as it probably lived in the Boboli
Gardens
during the reign of Cosimo
III de' Medici
(1670-1723).
It is still visible the mark of the rope,
around its neck.
The hippopotamus
is reported
in the Giovanni
Targioni
Tozzetti's[ii]
catalogue,
compiled in 1763, and it is almost certainly
one of the oldest specimens
displayed in the Museum.
Its age is also revealed
by the clumsy
execution[iii]
of the stuffing and mounting,
and through the animal's expression.
It was likely not observed alive
as the legs are mounted as a plantigrade
walks with entire
sole of the foot
touching the ground
although it is a digitigrade
walks so that only
toes
touch the ground
Detritus of
empire,
mouth
awkwardly gaped,
threatening,
the corners
beginning
to tear, too
many
teeth shoved in[iv].
[i]
Often, wealthy families in the 1700s kept exotic animals in
menageries, or in
captivity for their personal entertainment. The care and
wellbeing of exotic
animals is still highly discussed today.
[ii]
Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti was known for writing lyrics to
musicals and
operas such as Cavalleria rusticana. It is implied here that
the mistreatment
of the hippopotamus is well-known and common cultural
knowledge.
[iii]
This article explores the duties involved in being a
taxidermist. The
hippopotamus in La Specola is known for being treated
unprofessionally with
poor technique.
[iv]
This is an image of an animal in the museum that has been
stuffed. Taxidermists
work to make the animals look as realistic as possible in
life-like settings.
The hippopotamus was stuffed very haphazardly.
