Handicraft knowledge and skills have always been acquired through practical instruction. Showing and explaining, demonstrating and imitating are essential methods to convey - and understand - the manufacture of a wide variety of objects.

The special exhibition follows this principle: Archaeological finds from Hesse provide a glimpse into the toolboxes of the Celts and Romans, reproduced objects, drawings and films illustrate basic manual activities. In this way, the entire process from raw material to product is shown and the procedures used are made comprehensible.

It becomes clear that many tools and techniques have hardly changed for centuries. A Celtic hammer does not differ significantly from a Roman or even a modern locksmith's hammer. Iron still needs to be heated to shape it. And even today, fibers are straightened, spun and woven to obtain fabrics.

With large-format drawings in comic style, numerous films and elements for thinking and trying out, the exhibition is aimed primarily at a young audience.

The presented original finds from the Celts and Romans underline the importance of craftsmanship over thousands of years and attest to the rich cultural heritage of Hesse even under this important aspect of everyday life.

Funded by the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain