Coral Mounted On A Swedish Porphyry Base

Coral mounted on a base of Swedish porphyry.

- The placement on a base—especially one made of marble—emphasizes this preciousness, serving as a reference to the naturalia that art lovers collected in their Kunst und Wunderkammern (chambers of art and wonders), studioli, or cabinets of curiosities. These private spaces, prized by collectors, emerged in the late 15th century, a time when certain humanist scholars and ecclesiastical dignitaries began assembling rich collections of rare and strange objects that they kept in small rooms. The various categories of objects included in such a collection reflected the breadth of divine creation: naturalia from the three kingdoms of nature (animal, plant, and mineral), and artificialia created or modified by humans (for example: weapons, musical instruments, gold and silverware, hardstone vases, jewelry, and measuring instruments related to the study of the stars...).

- Dimensions - height: 8.9 cm