
Mentem, non formam, plus pollere.
Intelligence matters, not beauty
EMBLEMA CLXXXVIII.
Ingressa vulpes in Choragi pergulam,
Fabrč expolitum invenit humanum caput,
Sic eleganter fabricatum, ut spiritus
Solům deesset, caeteris vivisceret.
Id illa cům sumpsisset in manus, ait,
O quale caput est! sed cerebrum non habet.[1]
A fox, entering the store-room of a theatrical producer, found an actor’s mask, skilfully shaped, so finely fashioned that the spirit alone was missing, in all else it seemed alive. Taking it up, the fox addressed it - What a head is this, but it has no brain!
1. See Phaedrus, Fables 1.7 (also in iambic senarii); Aesop, Fables 43.
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Relating to the image:
- arm held downwards - AA - both arms or hands [31AA2515] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: fox (+ animal(s) holding something) [25F23(FOX)(+5245)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: fox (+ sitting animal) [25F23(FOX)(+535)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- boulder, stone [25H1124] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head (human) [31A221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- piece of sculpture, reproduction of a piece of sculpture [48C24] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sitting on an elevation [31A2352] Search | Browse Iconclass
- stage costume [48C853] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stem, trunk) [25G3(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- village [25I2] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- actor, actress (non-work situations) [48C8322] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Beauty; 'Bellezza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51D4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Intellect, Intelligence; 'Intelletto', 'Intelligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A1(+4):54B6(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- workshop [47A11] Search | Browse Iconclass
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