The following photographic-rich article about culture, history and art of Cabinet of Curiosities was produced on the occasion of the solo fine art exhibition by Takeshi Yamada entitled “Takeshi Yamada’s Museum of World Wonders: Cabinet of Curiosities” at the Brooklyn Public Library – Coney Island Branch in Coney Island area of Brooklyn, New York. The manuscript was produced by Dr. Eriko N. Bond, noted art critic and book author in New York City, as told by Takeshi Yamada. Photographs featured in this article were taken by Yamada, his friends and associates.

Part 4

Takeshi Yamada at work at his museum. January 2007 (photograph by Michael Rossetti)

November’s Cabinet of Curiosities

On the occasion of popular American holiday called Thanksgiving Day in November 2006, Takeshi Yamada selected and installed special “tasty” curiosities for his Cabinet of Curiosities for public viewing at Brooklyn Public Library - Coney Island Branch. Specifically, a series of curiosities are displayed on dishes with forks and cooking pan. Also more varieties of Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Foods (16 varieties) are also displayed. Unlike the previous month’s show, shorter descriptions in larger fonts for each gaff were used in the display because of the small space within the cabinet. 

Exhibition color flyer designed by Takeshi Yamada

Cabinet of November Curiosities on display

(Photograph by Takeshi Yamada. Photographed without the front glass doors.)

1.    Three-eyed Human Skull

2.    Black and white photograph of Takeshi Yamada (by photographer Evon Davis)

3.    Giant Spotted Carnivorous Killer Snail

4.    Chinese Carnivorous Mushroom

5.    Giant Mermaid’s Purse

6.    Shrunken Human Head

7.    Egyptian Cat Mummy

8.    Japanese Samurai Warrior Mask

9.    Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Sea Rabbit

10. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: King Piranha

11. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Mountain Jackalope

12. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Thylacine

13. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Horseshoe Crab

14. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Coelacanth

15. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Hairy Trout

16. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Nekomata

17. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Giant Vampire Bat

18. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Emperor Scorpion

19. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Rainbow Sea Slug

20. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Desert Hairy Scorpion

21. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Imperial Turkey

22. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Madagascar Giant Hissing Cockroach

23. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: King Tarantula

24. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Chinese Dragon Eel

25. New York City Giant subway Bugs (3 bugs)

26. Canadian Hairy Trout

27. Elephant Mushrooms (2 mushrooms)

28. Poison Dark Mushroom

29. Giant Ocean Hermit Crab

30. Mummified Six-fingered Hand of Witch

31. Two-headed and Six-fingered Alchemist (color announcement card, 2005)

32. Color exhibition flyer

(Total 50 items including 17 descriptions.)

This circus sideshow and educational art exhibition of Takeshi Yamada was produced generously (free of charge for viewing unlike his other shows at fairs and conventions) for general public at the Coney Island Library.

December’s Cabinet of Curiosities

On December, another display shelf was added to Yamada’s Cabinet of Curiosities at his request to the Coney Island Library. Yamada installed more curiosities.

Color poster of “Cabinet of Curiosity, December 2006” designed by Takeshi Yamada

Cabinet of December Curiosities on display

(Photograph by Takeshi Yamada. Photographed without the front glass doors.)

1.    Three-eyed Human Skull

2.    Black and white photograph of Takeshi Yamada (by photographer Evon Davis)

3.    Giant Spotted Carnivorous Killer Snail

4.    Fossilized T-rex bone

5.    Shrunken Human Head

6.    Chinese Carnivorous Mushroom

7.    Egyptian Cat Mummy

8.    Poison Dark Mushroom

9.    Framed picture article of Takeshi Yamada in Time Out New York magazine, 12/07/06

10. Ceremonial Tusk of Sea Elephant

11. New York City Giant subway Bug

12. Giant Mermaid’s Purse

13. Two-headed and Six-fingered Alchemist (color announcement card, 2005)

14. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Sea Rabbit

15. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: King Piranha

16. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Mountain Jackalope

17. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Thylacine

18. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Horseshoe Crab

19. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Coelacanth

20. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Hairy Trout

21. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Nekomata

22. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Giant Vampire Bat

23. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Emperor Scorpion

24. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Rainbow Sea Slug

25. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Desert Hairy Scorpion

26. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Imperial Turkey

27. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Madagascar Giant Hissing Cockroach

28. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: King Tarantula

29. Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Food: Chinese Dragon Eel

30. Scale of Giant Sea Serpent Scale

31. Japanese Samurai Warrior Mask

32. Framed picture article of Takeshi Yamada in Village Voice newspaper, 11/15/06

33. Canadian Hairy Trout

34. Nuclear Radiation Giant Tailed Beetle of Bikini

35. Fossilized Fairy

36. Giant Sea Dragon Skull

37. Mummified Six-fingered Hand of Witch

38. Color exhibition flyer

(Total 60 items including 22 descriptions.)

Reference:

Takeshi Yamada’s exhibition of his cabinet of curiosities at the Coney Island Library is featured in the following Brooklyn Public Library website.

http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/events/exhibitions/other/worldwonders.jsp

All rights reserved by Takeshi Yamada, January 2007. Revised in May 2007. Takeshi Yamada’s Museum of World Wonders in Coney Island, 1405 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11224, USA.

E-mail: yamada108@aol.com

Special thanks to Eriko N. Bond, Lauren D. Travis, Michael Rossetti and Deborah Zingale. Also special thanks to Stephen Stickney, Library Director of Brooklyn Public Library - Coney Island Branch.