What is a treasure?
As we plan ahead for a new gallery in the Weston Library to display our greatest treasures, we want to make sure that we create something appealing to contemporary society. Selecting “treasures” can be a subjective business so we would like you to help us to choose the most relevant objects possible by submitting your definition of a “treasure” today.
I think that your treasures must have a combination of characteristics.
!. The item should be unique.
The item should be of remarkable quality.
The item should be of artistic, historical, political or cultural importance.
Posted by Lois Pipkin
On 19/11/2012
A wonder that has been gathered into a single place -- the equivalent of a hoard -- that contextualizes its value. A lump of gold, for example, would be a treasure in the context of geology or as a measure of wealth but, if it is an ugly shape, not aesthetically. The Bodlean treasures, specifically, are wonders of knowledge, art, and expression.
Posted by Matthew DeForrest
On 09/09/2012
A treasure is something of immence importance and value in the eye of the beholder. Something to be cared for and preserved, perhaps buried away for the future. These objects are often revered by a culture and studied to understand how things came to be. An understanding of the past allows us to understand the present and shape the future.
Posted by John Koensgen
On 20/07/2012
A treasure that is something so rare and beautiful that you can not give it a value.
Posted by alison herold
On 14/06/2012
A treasure is an object that defines a period of time, a period in human life or a step forward in human achievement. It is not necessarily a unique object, its value rests in what it defines rather than its rarity.
Posted by John Anderton
On 15/04/2012
Something that had or is having a significant impact on everyday life, something momentous. Also something created of the finest craft and has a rarity.
Posted by Sian Edwards
On 25/01/2012
The treasure is indeed the treasure becouse we can get more information about more classic and update subjects I reqeust some legal subjects to be added as well,as student of law and political acience faculty we need legal and criminal subjects to be added
Thanks
shefa
Posted by shefa
On 14/12/2011
As a one-off title for the current exhibition, 'treasures' seems fine. But in this website and in the leaflet about the exhibition you use the word in almost every sentence, and you start to sound like a second rate cathedral with a room full of reliquaries. The Bodleian is about books: interesting, valuable, historic., beautiful,... 'Treasures' and debates about 'favourites' are childish concepts in that context.
It is the curators' job to select some that will always be exhibited and some that will be rotated. As the exhibition emphasises, choices will change. And it is also the curators' job to make sure books are properly displayed: in the current exhibition, the combination of angles, glass cases and lighting makes some impossible to see (I particularly regret not being able to see the Marco Polo properly: why is there no reproduction from this in the leaflet?).
People who come to an exhibition at a library do not need to be treated as if they have never seen a book or a manuscript before. The blurbs for each category are uniformly condescending and unhelpful. There are many words which I might use about the Herculaneum papyrus rolls, but 'peculiar allure'? Did anyone from the library actually read any of this or was it all done by some PR agency?
The permanent exhibition must treat visitors with respect. We are the same people, for example, who heard the excellent lecture today by Professor Sharpe: why the difference in assumptions about what we can understand?
The Bodleian has been exhibiting for centuries. In the last few years, the British Library has set a high standard for this type of exhibition; it is odd that you seem to be starting from scratch.
Posted by Sheila Page
On 18/11/2011
I'd like to see one or two books displayed in such a way as to emphasise their bindings over the text, in order to celebrate the role that bookbinding has played in preserving texts, and indeed is likely to continue to play in a digital age.
Posted by Chris Noel
On 08/11/2011
I think all the tresures should be rotated and shown no matter what some people think.These magnificent objects and books are part of humankind and people should learn to appreciate them, and the best way of doing it is by exhibit them. They are utterly inspiring, they are the voices of the past and I would love to listen to them very often.
Posted by A Elorza
On 05/11/2011
The book of Kelly's
Posted by Tony hewitt
On 02/11/2011
Once again, the curators have done brilliantly and we seem to go from one stunning exhibition to another.
But - and I write as a Guide who uses the Exhibitions to illustrate what the Bod is all about. I like to emphasise the importance of scholarship to our visitors who are not usually academic but who are favourably disposed. 2 comments therefore:
1. Is the Bod just about the Humanities? Has Oxford contributed anything to the development of Scence, Law, Medicene and Engineering in the 18th and 19th centuries and where does the Bod fit in to that?
2. where do individual exhibits fit in to the development of Knowledge? [the Ashnolean have just reorganised to address this point]. If this is not clear, all we show is a set of interesting, albeit fascinating, literary exhibits...but an academic library is not a museum of exhibits. The KJB Ex addressed this point well, as did the Hebrew, and I realise it is not easy with an Exhibition entitiled "Treasures", but I do think we need to get it right for the Weston foyer.
I hope that helps, it is not meant to sound carping, the Ex is one of Oxford's great sights.
Posted by David Knowles
On 20/10/2011
i think to be in the bodlein as a treasure the item in question must be of international significance.
however something is a treasure if one person adores it enough to keep it for a lifetime.
Posted by will tod
On 17/10/2011
A treasure is what you find at the bottom of the sea
Posted by Paul
On 17/10/2011
i think that a treasure is something of international importance from any period of history or even from modern day that gives us insight.
Posted by will tod
On 17/10/2011
A teasure is a rare and one of a kind object that either has a large significance in history or a small significance which is special for just one person.
Posted by Hattie Cockerill
On 17/10/2011
Who needs Treasure when you have the everyday? http://bonaelitterae.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/who-needs-treasure-when-you-have-the-everyday/
Posted by David Rundle
On 05/10/2011
A treasure is a rare and irreplaceable object that has made a memorable impression on its beholder either by means of its significance (in history) or aesthetically.
Posted by Tilly Prince
On 04/10/2011
A treasure is something without which we (we=society as a whole, though I admit that's nebulous) would be poorer. That rarely refers only to monetary value: we would be poorer without unique archives which are evidence of lives lived before us. We would be poorer without authentic, spontaneous documentation of human experience. We would also be poorer without carefully crafted, beautiful examples of pre-printed books. And we would be poorer without the first editions of works which echo down the ages - though I have to admit, this last category does much less for me than the preceding ones. Uniqueness is my definition of a treasure (but then, I am an archivist!).
Posted by Melinda
On 01/10/2011
In the context of a library a treasure is a thought provoking text that is culturally significant. It is about quality, excellence and passionate pursuits.
It can be produced in any form to deliver its doctrine or message. It is a one of a kind, a rare and wonderful work that has a commitment to the ideology that gave it birth. It is helpful in expanding our wealth of knowledge and contributes to growing both the social and cultural capital of our global community. It aids the continuing evolution of a sustainable creative society and nurtures those who are innovative and those who thoughtfully helping to imagine the future.
Posted by Carolyn McDowall
On 01/10/2011
A treasure is something that represents a great moment in time - artistic, political or intellectual.
Posted by Alison Prince
On 30/09/2011
A treasure is often something scarce, desired by others, culturally significant or impossible/exhorbitant to replace.
Posted by peter pavement
On 12/09/2011
Your favourite treasures
Use the voting thumbs on any of our individual treasures' pages to vote for your favourites.
Latest comments
Leave a comment on any of our individual treasures' pages and tell us whether you think they deserve the label (or not.)
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William Shakespeare, 'The First Folio'
The digital facsimile of the Bodleian's First Folio of Shakespeare's plays, Bodleian Arch. G c.7. can be found here: http://firstfolio.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/ Read this comment »
Gerard Manley Hopkins, 'Inversnaid'
Thanks for noticing the problem with the image. It has now been switched to show the correct poem. Read this comment »
The People's Choice
Euclid's Elements please :D Read this comment »
William Shakespeare, 'The First Folio'
http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/facsimile/ Read this comment »
William Shakespeare, 'The First Folio'
A very nice story about the missing first folio but I would rather have seen the online edition as promised by the BBC in its website feature today. "The Bodleian Library's First Folio from 1623... Read this comment »
The Laxton Map
Astounding to me at all levels. Thanks for the very informative video. Read this comment »
Papyrus rolls from Herculanaeum
My third attempt the others were lost incomplete on kindle. Yes a challenge and enlightenment for future generations Read this comment »
Notebook of poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Hopkins added graphic symbols into his MS to aid the reader or speaker of the words. These are all but lost today as they weren't replicated in print for various reasons to do with reader... Read this comment »
Handel’s conducting score of Messiah
Unfortunately the score isn't available to view in full online. There is a facsimile of it in the Bodleian and several other UK libraries including the British Library, Cambridge University Library,... Read this comment »
Handel’s conducting score of Messiah
I was a chorister at Tenbury and once a year we would be able to look through this score. Many happy memories. Can we view it online? Read this comment »
'Veins man' and 'Zodiac man' (treatise on medicine and the zodiac)
The earliest illustration of a ‘zodiac man’ identifiable in manuscript collections now at Oxford appears to be in St. John’s College MS. 178, fol. 143r, part of a scientific miscellany and... Read this comment »
'Veins man' and 'Zodiac man' (treatise on medicine and the zodiac)
I would like to know when the first images of the zodiac man appeared in the Middle Ages, more particularly whether such images are known dating from the 12th century? I thank you very much. Best... Read this comment »
The People's Choice
shakespeare's first folio Read this comment »
Codex Mendoza
I really like the pictures and I will use them in my homework. Read this comment »
Codex Mendoza
A remarkable document without which we may have not believed much of the archaeological evidence. Read this comment »
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