Kuntskammer Encylopedia

A Solo cup hardly compares to the Diana and Stag Automaton, used for drinking games in 17th century Germany. Both the heads of the stag upon which Diana sits and a dog whose leash she holds can be removed/filled with wine. Propelled by a wind-up motor, the automaton would zig-zag across a table; when she came to rest in front of a gentleman, he lifted the stag, removed its head, and drank it dry. If stopped in front of a lady, she did the same with the dog. Watch it here...

The MFA’s public collections search function, which is handled by an external vendor, is currently offline.

The MFA’s public collections search function, which is handled by an external vendor, is currently offline.

Figure of "Architecture". Nude female figure wearing fillet, drapery over right leg, holding in right hand a drawing instruments and in her left a drawing board. Signed on lower edge of drawing, GIO BOLONGE.

C is for commesso. This commesso, or tabletop, is made of more than a dozen varieties of marble. Connoisseurs prided themselves on knowing the different types of marble well into the 18th century. Some of the varieties here were excavated from Roman ruins during the Renaissance.

C is for cabinets. Cabinetmakers in the south German city of Augsburg created works of art to hold small, precious objects. This cabinet, a creation of colorful marquetry depicting townscapes and classical ruins reflects the dynamic exchange between the natural world and the alluring material world. Visit the gallery to see some of the tiny treasure a cabinet like this would have contained.

G is for Globuspokal. You have got the world at your fingertips – if you possess this Covered Cup, or Globuspokal, that is. This gold and silver Renaissance masterpiece attributed to Abraham Gessner can be split into two silver goblets at the engraved globe’s equator. Based on the 1578 edition of Abraham Ortelius’ Theater of the World, this work of comprehensive cartography is one way to truly execute fine dining.

I is for ivory. Ivory was turned on a hand-powered lathe, often times by princes. As part of his schooling, a prince would try his hand at a lathe, creating cups and artwork that he would display in the Kunstkammer. The work took tremendous skill and ingenuity, both visual and mechanical.

K is for Kunstkammer. A Kunstkammer, or a “cabinet of curiosities,” is a trend that swept Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Small rooms or cabinets contained exquisitely crafted man-made objects and natural wonders made of exotic and precious materials. The Kunstkammer was intended to impress guests with the owner’s command of art and nature, and essential for “keeping up with the Joneses.”

M is for miniature. Small but sly, a cryptogram is embedded in Sofonisba Anguissola’s smallest known self-portrait, which measures 3 ¼ by 2 ½ inches. The miniature portrait embodies the artist’s meticulous technique, displaying interwoven letters in the center medallion that carry a secret message – likely a reference to her artistic ancestry and nobility. Sofanisba was praised by her contemporaries as the foremost woman painter of her day.

The cabinet is composed of a drop front and lid which when open reveal eight drawers and four small doors. The underlying carcase is constructed of oak with an inner carcase composed of a softwood. The divides between the drawers and compartments are also a softwood faced on the front edges with hardwood veneers. The carcase wood of the drop front and lid is a softwood. All surfaces of the chest including the interior drawers and doors are decorated with a combination of marquetry and...

P is for Pietre Dure. Pietre dure, or “hard stone,” is a decorative technique that originated in Florence. Hard, often colorful stones are inlayed into grooves of a larger stone slab, like a jigsaw puzzle held together by a stone frame.

The MFA’s public collections search function, which is handled by an external vendor, is currently offline.

V is for Vellum. Though originally used to illuminate manuscripts, artist Nicholas Hilliard brought a miniature portrait to life by applying water colors to vellum. His flat and linear style serve to render a stylish lady, whose elaborate dress, high ruff and ringlets of hair capture the eye.