16th Century Miniature Boxwood Carvings That Fit in the Palm of Your Hand

[Gypsy31]

I kept looking at them, again, and again, and still wonder to myself
what a 'fantastic' job of 'carving art'!
Oscar

[jderijcke]

hi
an exposition with this subject will start soon in Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum). See link to an announcement on public TV in Flanders. Images speak for themselves if you don't understand dutch:

HI
I went to see that exposition in Amsterdam. EXCEPTIONNAL! FABULOUS!
In the catalogue I found this reference. You can see the collection in detail :

[Just Carving]

I'm bringing this back to life since I found one that is a bit more interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGyBfIORzgE

Bob L

[Arthur C.]

Bob, thank you for posting that...it is an amazing piece of work.

[honketyhank]

Wow. Quite some doodad!

[Glenn Jennings]

Such detail this is beyond amazing. Is almost unbelievable. Incredible work.

[oth47]

I did a cigar store Indian under a magnifying glass back in the 90s..a lil over an inch tall.I won't try that again.I can't imagine something with as much detail as I see here.

[Brian T]

There is a tribe of carvers using carpenter's graphite pencils as carving media.
One was from the UK, had been a member here with stunning accomplishments
that we saw, pre-hack.
A child's "Primary Printer" is a large, easily grasped, first pencil for learning to print and write.
Those leads are suitable as well.

[Ikecurran]

Incredible work!!!!

[Glenn Jennings]

I hate to think of the hours that went into making that piece, The detail is just out of this world. I just can't imagine how they got such fine detail. Think it must be very hard wood. I don't think I could come close to doing it with modern tools. Then ask your self how they did it with the tools of the day.

[Claude]

European Boxwood has a Janka Hardness of 2840; osage orange is 2620 and Mesquite is 2340, so definitely a HARD wood.

...and they did these carvings without power tools!!!

Claude

[Brian T]

16th Century means that these were done in the 1500's. Imagine the little flakes of iron that would have been designed for this work. And the precise sharpening needed. I find it hard to imagine the motivation for such delicacy.

[pallin]

The dating would place this work very close to when Grinling Gibbons was doing his amazing floral, musical instrument, bird & animal works. We don't have examples of his tools either.