Collections
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Vienna University’s collections

Where threads intertwine

Vienna University Library is responsible for the systematic acquisition and presentation of all collections and equipment housed in the various faculties of the University for teaching and research purposes. Objects of great educational, scientific and historical value are preserved within these collections, which represent part of the national cultural heritage.

They range from classical teaching and research collections and historical collections to audio, slide and video libraries, from assets and archives to amenities such as gardens, greenhouses, plant collections and an observatory.

The University of Vienna was the first in Austria to create the position of collector in 2010, which became a cross-faculty link between the individual collections and university administration.

In the “Object of the Month” section, a particularly beautiful or interesting object from the drawers and cabinets of the various collections and institutions of the University is chosen each month to be displayed to a wide public.

The ointment vessel with the unusual shape you can see in the image above was probably made in the East Aegaen islands or on the Anatolian mainland beyond. This assumption is based on the colour of the clay. It is in the form of a hare that has been slain and strung up with its head falling back, though the orifice and tray are located on the animal’s chest.

The front and back legs have broken off, but apart from that it can be said to be in good condition, as the paintwork is still clearly recognisable. The hare’s fur is suggested by regular dotting in black gloss. The tail, outline of the ears, eye and whisker detail as well as the undercoat of the orifice dish are also black (the latter has dots and lines in white paint on the top and sides). The inner ears are coated in red paint. The mouth and nose are scratched on.

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