Published in conjunction with an exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from November 25, 2019-March 1, 2020 Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-298) and index
Contents:
Marvels, wonders, and their offspring / Wolfram Koeppe -- Amassing magnificence : the role of the Kunstkammer in princely self-representation / Dirk Syndram -- Courtly marvels and the new experimental philosophy / Pamela H. Smith -- Chasing marvels, revealing secrets : the Kunstkammer in the age of discovery / Paulus Rainer -- A surviving curiosity : the Esterházy Kunstkammer / Florian Thaddäus Bayer -- Scientific instruments as courtly objects / Peter Plassmeyer -- The ivory turn : of solids, curves, and nests / Noam Andrews -- The noble art : alchemy and innovation at court / Ana Matisse Donefer-Hickie -- Clocks and automata : the art of technological development / Wolfram Koeppe.
Summary:
Innovation, technology, and spectacle combine in wondrous works of decorative art and furniture that embody the splendor and luxury of the royal courts of Europe. At once beautiful works of art and technological wonders, the objects featured in Making Marvels demonstrate how European royalty from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment signaled their status through their collections of ingeniously crafted inventions. Featuring 150 exemplary objects ranging from mechanical toys to scientific instruments, timepieces to automata, this groundbreaking study brings to life a glorious period when luxury, a quest for knowledge, scientific invention, and political power combined to produce remarkable works of art. More than frivolous playthings, these works inspired technical innovations that influenced a broad spectrum of activities, including astronomy, engineering, and artisanal craftsmanship. This remarkable volume explores works in a wide range of materials, including precious metals, gemstones, pietra dura, marble, ivory, wood, bone, shell, glass, and paper. The book's compelling essays address the layered historical context in which these objects were fashioned and gathered into cabinets of wonder at courts throughout Europe; elucidate their complex blending of art and science; and provide fascinating details about the patrons who commissioned them and the specialists who made them.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.