Digital examination

摘要

Ever given someone the finger? Did you know that this most understandable of gestures has its origins in ancient Greece and Rome where the digitus im-pudicus appeared in the works of Aristophanes and Martial: "Laugh loudly, Sextillus, when someone calls you a queen and put your middle finger out." In this intriguing but verbose book (a robust edit would have paid dividends), Angus Trumble, a curator at the Yale Centre for British Art, examines fingers from every angle and tells some appealing anecdotes along the way.