Hammer and Pessary Ring. Medical Instruments that Look Like Designer Jewelry

Pessary Ring as Bracelet. Percussion Hammer as Brooch

While researching some antique objects on the interweb we stumbled upon an image of a pessary ring made in 1975. We’ve never used this contraceptive device so we didn’t recognize it as such. To us, at Mimi Berlin, this rubber band looks more like a bracelet; a modern design bracelet. And in our minds the percussion hammer could well be a brooch. .

(The medical items are property of the Purmerends Museum)

Online Stuff from Yesteryears

We found the images above via the online collection of National Dutch heritage. This wonderful imagebank is filled with thousands and thousands of products, ranging from stamps to glassware to well……stuff from yesteryears that can make the imagination run wild if you want to!

While we’re on the subject: click to view our post about on religious tongue piercings.

Percussion or Reflex Hammer

A reflex hammer is a medical instrument used by practitioners to test deep tendon reflexes. Testing for reflexes is an important part of the neurological physical examination in order to detect abnormalities in the central or peripheral nervous system. Reflex hammers can also be used for chest percussion.

(knowledge via wikipedia)

xoxo Mimi Berlin

Orang Belanda Hitam

Orang Belanda Hitam

Goodmorning! Here’s some interesting Dutch historical knowledge you don’t get to learn in school;

Kees Pop by Isaac Israëls and Jan Kooi by Johan Coenraad Leich (1882)

“Belanda Hitam (from Indonesian meaning “Black Dutchmen”, known in Javanese as Londo Ireng), were a group of African recruits in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army during the colonial period. Between 1831 and 1872, over three thousand Africans were recruited from the Dutch Gold Coast for service as colonial troops in the Dutch East Indies. This recruitment was in fact an emergency measure, as the Dutch army lost thousands of European soldiers and a much larger number of “native” KNIL soldiers in the Java War against Prince Diponegoro.” (read more en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belanda_Hitam )

More interesting reads;
The black Dutchmen : African soldiers in the Netherlands East Indies, Kessel,W.M.J.van
Novel by Arthur Japin; The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi (1997).

 

MBFWA Opening Night

MBFWA Opening Night

Amsterdam Fashion week opened with the “Dutch Visionairies” show; Designs by Dutch fashion/retail brands of the past and the present on parade; Mac & Maggie, Puck & Hans, Monique van Heist, Mattijs, Aziz Bekkaoui, Ell=Bell, Spijkers en Spijkers, Humanoid, Laundry Industry, Avelon, Bas Kosters, Gletcher, Marcha Huskes, Oscar & Suleyman en Tony Cohen, all re-styled by Ruud van der Peijl, made do for a, definitely Dutch, festive show at “De Gashouder”! We filmed the finale for yous all……

We also visited the exhibition “Dutch Heritage” at the Transformatorhuis (the smaller show-venue at the Westergasfabriek) Work by Iris van Herpen, Fong Leng, Lola Pagola, Jan Jansen, Max Heymans, Mart Visser, Le Cri Neerlandais, Individuals and Collectie Arnhem were on exhibit.

Unfortunately we missed out on the last show, the one we were most gespännt to see…..We heard good reviews on this “Couture & Crafts” show; try and find those elsewhere on the net. xoxo Mimi

More on MBFWA Jan/2016 HERE on this blog

Read more about the opening night of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam HERE on this blog

MBFWA Opening Night; Dutch Heritage.

MBFWA Opening Night; Dutch Heritage.

 Now that’s a good idea! Opening Mercedez Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam with a “Dutch Heritage” program. We are especially interested in the last show of the opening evening named Couture & Crafts; an overview show with (vintage) fashion by Dutch couturiers and designers dating from 1960 to 2016. As you all know we adore vintage Dutch fashion heritage, we even based a couple of our Mimi Berlin’s Fashion-Fests on Dutch designers such as Fong Leng and Dick Holthaus using vintage outfits from the kabinet-vintage-depot collection. We hope tickets are still available!
The Making Of… The Campaign Visual for Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek Amsterdam January 2016; Together with partners Mercedes-Benz, Make-up Studio, Elite models, Team Peter Stigter, Jurlights, Tommy Hagen and Westergasfabriek, FashionWeek Nederland developed a new campaign visual with model Milou and the dress created by Jef Montes.” (video via fashionweek-nederland)

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