for the way it combines things from the world of nature (‘Naturals’) with things resulting from processes of human manufacture (‘Artificials’). The Tradescant collection went on to form the basis of the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the first public museum in the world. The present selection includes the list of contents of the whole collection (‘The Table’). However, we have completely omitted the contents of the garden and concentrated in our extracts on what would be seen today as works of ‘material culture’, rather than ‘nature’. The catalogue offers a fascinating glimpse into a world of ‘rarities’ and ‘curiosities’ before the characteristic distinctions of the modern scientific disciplines emerged, and before the separate departments of the modern museum came into being. We have modernized spelling and punctuation throughout. The error in numbering between the contents list and the subsequent sections is in the original. Our source is The Tradescant Collection, a Facsimile Reprint of the Catalogue of 1656, digitally produced from an original copy by the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 2009.
To the Ingenious Reader
[…] About three years ago, (by the persuasion of some friends) I was resolved to take a Catalogue of those rarities and curiosities which my father had sedulously collected, and myself with continued diligence have augmented, and hitherto preserved together. They then pressed me with that argument, that the enumeration of these rarities (being more for variety than any one place in Europe could afford) would be an honour to our nation, and a benefit to such ingenious persons as would become further enquirers into the various modes of Nature’s admirable works, and the curious imitators thereof. I readily yielded to the thing so urged, and with the assistance of two worthy friends (well acquainted with my design) we began it, and many examinations of the materials themselves and their agreements with several authors compared, a draft was made. […]
Now for the materials themselves I reduce them unto two sorts; one Natural, of which some are more familiarly known and named amongst us, as divers sorts of birds, four‐footed beast and fishes, to whom I have given usual English names. Others are less familiar, and as yet unfitted with apt English terms, as the shell creatures, insects, minerals, outlandish fruits, and the like, which are part of the Materia Medica … The other sort is Artificials, as utensils, household stuff, habits, instruments of war used by several nations, rare curiosities of art, etc. These are also expressed in English … for the ready satisfying whomsoever may desire a view thereof. The catalogue of my garden I have also added in the Conclusion … that nothing may be wanting which at present comes within view, and might be expected from
Your ready friend
John Tradescant
A View of the Whole: The Table
1 Birds with their eggs, beaks, feathers, claws, spurs.
2 Four footed beasts, with some of their hides, horns, and hoofs.
3 Divers sorts of strange fishes.
4 Shell creatures, whereof some are called mollia, some crustacea, others testacea, of these both univalvia and bivalvia.
5 Several sorts of insects, terrestrial – anelytra, coleoptera, aptera, apoda.
6 Minerals, and those of near nature with them as earths, corals, salts, bitumens, petrified things, choicer stones, gems.
7 Outlandish fruits from both the Indies, with seeds, gums, roots, woods, and divers ingredients medicinal, and for the art of dyeing.
8 Mechanicks, choice pieces of carvings, turnings, paintings.
9 Other variety of rarieties.
10 Warlike instruments, European, Indian etc.
11 Garments, habits, vests, ornaments.
12 Utensils, and household stuff.
13 Numismata, coins ancient and modern, both gold, silver, and copper, Hebrew, Greek, Roman both Imperial and Consular.
14 Medals, gold, silver, copper, and lead.Hortus Tradescantius
15 An enumeration of his plants, shrubs, and trees both in English and Latin.
16 A catalogue of his benefactors.
* * *
VII [VIII] Mechanick artificial works in carvings, turnings, sewings and paintings
Several heads cut on agates.
Divers figures cut on shells.
Variety of figures cut in crystals.
Divers sorts of doublets.
Divers sorts of ambers with flies, spiders natural.
A bird sitting on a perch natural.
Cornelian cup, amber cup and amber bottle, turned. A crystal bottle.
Several things rarely cut in coral. […]
Cornelian thumb cases of the Turks.
Several curious paintings in little forms, very ancient.
Spleen stones, divers sorts.
The Indian lip stone which they wear in the lip.
A little box with the 12 Apostles in it.
A silver box with 6 divisions.
Turkish alkaron [i.e. The Koran] in a silver box. […]
The story of the Prodigal Son carved in wood: ancient.
Perseus and Andromeda carved in an ivory table.
Figures and stories neatly carved upon plum stones, apricot stones, cherry stones, peach stones etc.
A cherry stone upon one side St George and the Dragon, perfectly cut: and on the other side 88 Emperors faces.
The martyrdom of the Bishop of Amphipolia carved in alabaster.
Several landscapes, beasts, cities, rocks, naturally wrought in stones.
Landscapes, stories, trees figures cut in paper by some of the Emperors.
Divers rare and ancient pieces carved in ivory.
Two figures carved in stone by Hans Holbein. […]
Divers curiosities of turned work in amber, ivory.
A little wheel and spindle turned in amber.
A cup turned in a peppercorn and garnished with ivory.
A set of chess men in a peppercorn turned in ivory.
Divers sorts of ivory balls turned one within another, some 6, some 12 fold; very excellent work.
Rolls of the barks of trees wherein are graved the
