Video: 16th century boxwood figurines baffle art historians around the world
2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-10 19:46
They are so tiny that they had to use a microscope and X-ray to study them.
It is known about the existence of only 135 miniature carvings from boxwood, which have puzzled art critics around the world. Researchers recently collected some of these tiny sculptures from museums and private collections to explore their secrets and uncovered interesting details.
It is believed that these wooden figurines were created over a short period of time from 1500 to 1530 in Flanders or the Netherlands. The demand for high quality pocket figurines of a religious character arose with the emergence of the merchant social class. However, the Reformation soon began, and many church accessories fell out of fashion, including boxwood miniatures.
Using microcomputed tomography and advanced 3D scanning software, the researchers uncovered just how complex these miniature altars really are. The inner layers are joined together by completely hidden seams, which can only be detected with a microscope or X-ray. The individual pieces are attached to each other with the smallest connecting pieces. But most of the manufacturing process remains unsolved.
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