Universally appealing

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A cylinder scroll with a ritual scene around the Tree of Life, Assyria, Neo-Assyyrian period (end of the 9th century B.C.). Semiopal. (Bibel + Orient Museum, Fribourg) Sammlungen Bibel+Orient, Freiburg

Gold coin showing the flat earth, the World Tree, the sun, the evening and the morning star. England, Kent; Belgium. 1st century B.C. Gold-copper alloy, stamped. (Private collection, photograph: Rainer Wolfsberger) Privatsammlung, Foto: Rainer Wolfsberger

Mirror with cosmological decoration. China, early Eastern Han Dynasty, 1st Century A.D. Bronze. (Legacy of Charlotte Holliger-Hasler, photograph: Rainer Wolfsberger) Legat Charlotte Holliger-Hasler, Foto: Rainer Wolfsberger

Celestial glove, India, Lahore. Late 16th/early 17th century. Copper alloy and silver. (Bern Natural History Museum, photograph Yvonne Hurni) Bernisches Historisches Museum, Foto: Yvonne Hurni

Illustration of two and a half continents (adhaidvipa). India, Rajasthan or Gujarat. 17th century. Pigments on cloth. (Bina and Navin Kumar Jain collection, New York, photograph: Bruce White/Rubin Museum of Art) Sammlung Bina und Navin Kumar Jain, New York, Foto: Bruce White/Rubin Museum of Art

Offering cosmos mandala. China, Qianlong period (1736-1796). Bronze, gold-plated. (RMN-Grand Palais (Musée Guimet, Paris), photograph Thierry Olivier) RMN-Grand Palais (Musée Guimet, Paris), Foto: Thierry Olivier

Vishvarupa: Krishna in his cosmic form. Unknown artist. India, Kashmir. 1875-1900. Pigments on paper. (Rietberg Museum, Zurich, donation by Alice Boner, photograph: Rainer Wolfsberger) Museum Rietberg Zürich, Geschenk Alice Boner, Foto: Rainer Wolfsberger

Ceremonial headdress with raven. Tlingit, pre-1880. Painted wood and leather, haliotis shell. (Übersee-Museum Bremen, photograph: Matthias Haase) Übersee-Museum Bremen, Foto: Matthias Haase

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What is the universe? Why are we here? Humans have been trying to answer these questions for thousands of years. The Cosmos – an Enduring Mystery exhibition at the Rietberg Museum in Zurich, which runs until May 31, 2015, gathers together fascinating  cosmos-related objects from different time periods and from around the world.