*Post written by James Wethington, senior library assistant of the University Archives and Special Collections.

*Item descriptions written by Jennifer Greene, university archivist of University Archives and Special Collections, and Susan Sauls, art collection registrar.

We are down to our final four artifacts and this is the final stop to the championship round. Let’s meet our competitors for the Final 4. Voting for this round will start on March 26 and end on April 1, at 11:59 PM CST. As a reminder, this round will be Special Collections vs. Communal Studies and USI Art Collection vs. Lawrence Library.

Arch Madness: Final 4!

Special Collections

Works of Paracelsus, 1603. Credit: James Wethington.

Final score against Elvis Presley telegram, 109-53.

*Defending 2017 Arch Madness Champion.

The Collected Works of Paracelsus is a rare book in our Special Collections.  Printed in 1603, this two-volume set contains the books and writings on alchemy, magic, and occult philosophies of Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, better known as Paracelsus.

Communal Studies

“The Game of Community” board game, 1972.

Final score against Shiloh food labels: 98-64.

The Game of Community is board game developed by Family Pastimes Products, a Canadian company, in 1972.  Unlike most games, which pit player against player, to win this challenge everyone must work together to build a community.  The game includes problem solving and teamwork to get around the obstacles to creating a communal experience.

USI Art Collection

Print of Beethoven by Andy Warhol, 1987.

Final score against French Lick sculpture: 88-75.

Warhol created the Beethoven portfolio prior to his unexpected death in 1987 and is one of the most desirable prints by the artist. This particular print is an “Extra, out of edition” that was given to USI by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. in 2013 for education and research.

Lawrence Library

Incantation bowl, c. 6th to 8th Century.

Final score against Mudras of Buddha: 99-64.

The incantation bowl, which goes by many names such as a demon bowl or a magic bowl, was usually buried face down in a home’s courtyard or near cemeteries in order to capture demons or evil spirits. Once retrieved, a hole would be made in the bowl to release the spirits.