26 THINGS

The Swiss National Museum s permanent collection reflects Switzerland s history from pre-historic times until the present day. Each object also represents the location where it was found or made; the people who made or used it; a trade or profession; a personal or regional identity. Published to coincide with the opening of the new extension of the Landesmuseum in Zurich, Swiss National Museum s oldest and largest site, 26 Things features as many highlights from its collection, one from each of Switzerland s cantons. The selection ranges from a Celtic gold bowl from ca. 1500 BC (Zurich) to a miniature electro motor that propelled NASA s Mars rover Spirit in 2004 (Obwalden). It includes Switzerland s first snow gun of 1978 (Grisons) as well as a medieval Madonna sculpture (Valais) or a clock made in 1796 that once belonged to Napoleon (Neuchâtel). The beautifully designed small book offers a varied Swiss panorama, taking the reader all around the country s twenty-six cantons, each with its own history and cultural identity.