Oskar

Meet Oskar. Formerly a World War I German soldier, Oskar, or Oskar's skull, to be more precise, went on to be a study model for dental students. My former boss (who told me what he knew of Oskar's story)had him for around 40 years and bequeathed Oskar to me when he retired. I guess he knew Oskar would have a good home.

When we moved in, I unpacked Oskar and put him on my husband's bookshelf. He complained about Oskar's new roost until after Halloween that year, when everyone asked where we got the cool skull. Then he started making noises about taking Oskar to work with him and displaying him on a bookshelf in his private office. So far, I've won the battle to keep Oskar at home, where he belongs.

While I'm looking forward to using Oskar as a model for future skulls, I really appreciate him from a purely anatomical standpoint. Looking at the nerve bundles and various other details that were left to teach aspiring dental and medical students fascinates me. Pop off the top of his cranium and you get an education on how small the brain is and how delicate its protection. I really was amazed at how many different types of bone make up the skull.

And of course, I really appreciate the creep factor when you light him up just right and put him in a window next to the front door to greet the TOTs! (See the pic below.) Never fails to get a reaction. Very satisfying.


Yes, Oskar will be a great reference model for the groundbreaker corpses I plan for Halloween 2009. I'm not sure if I dare take any papier mache skull models from him, but I'll pattern both shape and color after him. I may also use him for a new scarecrow, a la Pumpkinrot.

The possibilities make me shiver.