Adam’s Navel

Adam’s Navel is a unique, elegant and enthralling history of the human form from the tops of our heads to the ends of our toes, exploring the ways in which we have perceived, adorned, flaunted, represented and celebrated our bodies over the centuries. Ranging from Petrarch’s odes on the eyes of his beloved and Rodin’s Kiss to Samson’s magical hair and the ancient curse of left-handedness; from body art, tanning and the phenomenon of smiling to the wonders of Cleopatra’s lips, Sophia Loren’s eyebrows and Cyano de Bergerac’s nose; and drawing inspiration as diverse as ancient myth, natural history, Shakespeare, Proust and Hollywood films, this is an enchanting exploration of the mysterious and miraculous stories we all carry within us.