A glorious trove of miniature art across eras and mediums—from ancient Egypt to the present, from netsuke to medieval shrines
Intricate and appealing, curious and uncanny, miniature works of art exert surprising power. Over thousands of years and across cultures, artists and artisans have created small objects for many purposes: tiny gold amulets of ancient Egyptian gods to protect the wearer; portable European medieval shrines made of precious materials to hold the relics of saints; English and American miniature painted portraits to keep loved ones close; Dutch dollhouse furnishings to display the maker’s skill and the owner’s social standing; pocket-size tools and globes from the age of exploration; Japanese netsuke carved in the shape of auspicious animals; and everyday objects transformed into statement jewelry by contemporary makers. Tiny Treasures looks closely at more than 75 fascinating miniature objects from across the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, exploring their meaning and purpose along with their often dazzling workmanship, and showing that the human impulse to create on a small scale can produce compelling masterpieces.
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FORMAT: Hbk, 6.5 x 8.75 in. / 160 pgs / 100 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $24.95 LIST PRICE: CANADA $35.95 GBP £22.00 ISBN: 9780878468935 PUBLISHER: MFA Publications, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston AVAILABLE: 10/3/2023 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: WORLD
Published by MFA Publications, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Text by Courtney Leigh Harris.
A glorious trove of miniature art across eras and mediums—from ancient Egypt to the present, from netsuke to medieval shrines
Intricate and appealing, curious and uncanny, miniature works of art exert surprising power. Over thousands of years and across cultures, artists and artisans have created small objects for many purposes: tiny gold amulets of ancient Egyptian gods to protect the wearer; portable European medieval shrines made of precious materials to hold the relics of saints; English and American miniature painted portraits to keep loved ones close; Dutch dollhouse furnishings to display the maker’s skill and the owner’s social standing; pocket-size tools and globes from the age of exploration; Japanese netsuke carved in the shape of auspicious animals; and everyday objects transformed into statement jewelry by contemporary makers.
Tiny Treasures looks closely at more than 75 fascinating miniature objects from across the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, exploring their meaning and purpose along with their often dazzling workmanship, and showing that the human impulse to create on a small scale can produce compelling masterpieces.
