Sculpture, Gapers, Apotheek - 18 cm - Plaster - 2000

Three realistic replicas scaled to size of a gaper, which were used as signs on the facades of drugstores and pharmacies.

Gapers were recognition marks for pharmacies, chemists, and drugstores. They first appeared at the end of the sixteenth century and are only found in the Dutch, Frisian, and Flemish language regions. Most of those still in use today as recognition marks date from the nineteenth century or are replicas.
The yawner remains an enigmatic phenomenon. Its origin is unknown. There are various explanations for its characteristic, the widely open mouth. One is a medical professional; showing your tongue for diagnosis and then taking prescribed medication. Some yawners have a pill on their tongue or a sulfur matchstick in their mouth. Another explanation could be that the sick person, overwhelmed by fatigue, lets their mouth fall open. The most common yawners are Easterners with a turban. Additionally, there are jesters, police officers, firefighters, Roman soldiers, and patients.