Piercing Collection

Madame Helena Blavatsky
Undated cutting of head and shoulders photograph of Madame Helena Blavatsky - founder of Theosophy and the Theosophical Society. HPG/1/13/1 (ii)

A Tiger approaches
A fantastic picture of a large male Tiger approaching with menace. Pastel drawing by Raymond Sheppard

Cimex lectularius, bed bug
Scanning electron microscope image of a bed bug (x 17). The sucking mouthparts enable the feeding bedbugs to pierce the hosts tissues and siphon out a blood meal

The First Ear Ring, 1849. Artist: William Greatbach
The First Ear Ring, 1849

Le Coup de Lance, 1620. Artist: Peter Paul Rubens
Le Coup de Lance, 1620. At the Crucifixion the soldier pierces Christs side to make sure he is dead. At bottom right, the Virgin Mary and St John the Apostle turn aside in despair

Daniel Webster and quote on God granting Liberty
A postcard illustrating a quote by Daniel Webster (1782-1852) - a leading American statesman and senator from Massachusetts during the period leading up to the Civil War

Types of war bombs in use by G. H. Davis
Instruments of destruction: types of war bombs in use during the Second World War. A comparative chart showing the various types, including the incendiary, the high explosive, the armour piercing

Raymond Sheppard (self-portrait)
Raymond Sheppard - self-portrait in oil

Moroccan Man with a piercing gaze
Moroccan Man (Arab) wearing a white turban and sporting a particularly piercing gaze and very nicely trimmed goatee beard. Date: circa 1909

Tibetans dressed for religious shamans ceremony, Tongren, Qinghai Province, China, Asia

#12
Louise

Pink panties
Julia Ramiro

Major Sir William Palliser, 1830 - 1882
3083206 Major Sir William Palliser, 1830 - 1882.; Private Collection; (add.info.: Irish-born politician and inventor of the Palliser shot)

The Tough Ritual
Avishek Das

Sugpiaq (Pacific Yupik) or Alutiiq man of Kodiak Island, Alaska. His earlobes and chin pierced with beads
FLO4722587 Sugpiaq (Pacific Yupik) or Alutiiq man of Kodiak Island, Alaska. His earlobes and chin pierced with beads, his face tattooed

Fogo
Martin Krystynek MQEP

Burmese man in cotton jacket and silk plaid loincloth, smoking a cheroot or segar (cigar)
FLO4565493 Burmese man in cotton jacket and silk plaid loincloth, smoking a cheroot or segar (cigar). His loins are tattooed and his ear lobes pierced

Baker's and Finnemore's Pen Factory, St Paul's Square, Birmingham, England, 1870 (engraving)
532302 Baker's and Finnemore's Pen Factory, St Paul's Square, Birmingham, England, 1870 (engraving); (add.info.: Baker's and Finnemore's Pen Factory, St Paul's Square)

Surma woman-III
Joxe Inazio Kuesta Garmendia

Bold Attitude 3
Chantal Jemmott

Bold Attitude 3
Chantal Jemmott

Portrait Woman Mursi, M
Svetlin Yosifov

The Coup de Lance, 1593. Creator: Jan Wierix
The Coup de Lance, 1593. From Evangelicae Historiae Imagines

Kenowun, Nunivak, 1928. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Kenowun, Nunivak, 1928

Indians of the Rio Quarto; Frontier Adventures in the Argentine Republic, 1875. Creator: Unknown
Indians of the Rio Quarto; Frontier Adventures in the Argentine Republic, 1875. From Illustrated Travels by H.W. Bates. [Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, c1880, London] and Galpin

Tuam ipsius animam.... Creator: Antonius Wierix
Tuam ipsius animam.... and a sword will pierce through your own soul also - Luke 2:35-37

Christ on the cross between the two thieves, ca. 1631. Creator: Anon
Christ on the cross between the two thieves, ca. 1631

For strength and visions-Apsaroke, c1908. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
For strength and visions-Apsaroke, c1908. Photograph shows an Apsaroke man, leaning back slightly, with strips of leather attached to his chest and tethered to a pole secured by rocks

Hattie Bear Black, 1905. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Hattie Bear Black, 1905. Photograph shows half-length portrait of Hattie Bear Black with braids, wearing pearl necklace and traditional dress, seated, facing right

Men of the Island Carib or Kalinago people. The wear loincloths, armlets, garters, tattoos and nose piercings. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Nasi from Giulio Ferrrarios Costumes Antique

Negative Space
Alejandro Marcos

Red
Martin Lee

Laarim woman smoking-South Sudan
Joxe Inazio Kuesta Garmendia

Girl of the Laarim
Trevor Cole

A Rajasthani Lady (gouache and w/c on marble plate)
DND221213 A Rajasthani Lady (gouache and w/c on marble plate) by Indian School; Private Collection; Dinodia

Young woman with a pronounced lip plate - Mozambique
A young Maconde (Makonde) woman with a pronounced lip plate - Portuguese East Africa (modern-day Mozambique) circa 1910s

Body suspension festival of Mariatal or Chidi Mari, India
Festival of Mariatal, Churrack-Pooja, Carak Puja or Chidi Mari, near Pondicheri, India. Hindu devotees are suspended by hooks in the skin from long poles

Fantastic Depiction of the Solar System (woodcut) (later colouration)
XCF209212 Fantastic Depiction of the Solar System (woodcut) (later colouration) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Punk girl Julie Brandon having her hair cut by her mother at their home in Thame, Oxfordshire. Julie was recently sacked from a shop. 24th July 1980

Masai, Kenya, silhouette
Kenya, Masai warriors in genuine traditional clothes. One carries a spear with the tip protected by a feathered su-su. The other carries a rifle. Silhouette

Member of the Meru Tribe - Kenya, East Africa
Memeber of the Meru Tribe - Kenya, East Africa. Both men and women of this region stretch their ears, although today more women than men follow the practice

Smart and Handsome British Gentleman in straw boater hat, starched collar, white tie and suit. He is boasting a well-groomed moustache and a slightly serious expression

Young girls with sticks in their noses and lips, Terrakekka to Aweil, Sudan, 1925 (1927). Artist: Thomas A Glover
Young girls with sticks in their noses and lips, Terrakekka to Aweil, Sudan, 1925 (1927). A print from Cape to Cairo, by Stella Court Treatt, George G Harrap & Company Ltd, 1927

A Hindu devotee with hooks pierced into his back participates in a procession during Thaipusam at Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia January 31, 2018. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin

Aadi Kiruthigai festival in Chennai
A Hindu devotee with hooks pierced into his back participates in a religious procession to celebrate Aadi Kiruthigai, a festival dedicated to Hindu god Murugan, in Chennai, India, July 28, 2019

A Samburu warrior resplendent with long, braided, Ochred hair. The round ear ornaments of the warriors are fashioned from ivory

Golden Light Piercing
Leah Xu

Ordinary Portrait of an Extraordinary Girl
Sandra Ulfig ARPS

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"Piercing: A Journey Through Intrigue, Pain, and Transformation" In the realm of mysticism and spiritual exploration, it has long been associated with unlocking hidden realms of consciousness. Madame Helena Blavatsky, a renowned occultist, believed that piercings could serve as conduits for divine energy to flow through. But sometimes, piercing takes on a more literal meaning. Imagine the adrenaline coursing through your veins as a majestic tiger approaches you in the wild - its fierce gaze piercing into your soul. On a less exhilarating note, consider the tiny but mighty Cimex lectularius - better known as bed bugs - whose insidious bites can leave an indelible mark on both our bodies and psyche. Speaking of marks left behind, history tells tales of testicle growth drained by ancient healers who believed it would cure ailments. A practice that may make us wince today but highlights humanity's quest for unconventional remedies throughout time. Art too captures the essence moments. In Peter Paul Rubens' masterpiece "Le Coup de Lance, " we witness the intense moment when a spear pierces Christ's side during his crucifixion – an act symbolizing sacrifice and redemption. Yet not all instances are so dramatic; sometimes it is merely curiosity that drives us to peer over someone's shoulder or chair back – seeking glimpses into their world without fully immersing ourselves. It also finds its place amidst conflict. From G. H. Davis' depiction of war bombs to Raymond Sheppard's self-portrait capturing wartime resilience – these images remind us how destruction can simultaneously reveal human strength and vulnerability. Daniel Webster once said, "God grants liberty only to those who love it. " This quote resonates deeply within our souls as we contemplate how freedom often requires breaking societal norms or even challenging oppressive systems – like piercing through barriers holding us back from true liberation.