The small wonders

How many angels can stand on the point of a needle?

''Small in scale, yet teeming with life, miniature boxwood carvings have been a source of wonder since their creation in the Netherlands in the 16th century. On these intricately carved objects—some measuring a mere two inches (five centimeters) in diameter—the miracles and drama of the Bible unfold on a tiny stage. The execution of these prayer beads and diminutive altarpieces is as miraculous as the stories they tell.'' /From the introduction to the exposition ''Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures'' in the Metropolitan Museum, New York February - May 2017./

The exposition itself has ended a long time ago, but the catalogue is still here, engaging and full of wonders. (Exposition has been organized as a cooperation of three museums - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; and the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, that's why the book with Rijksmuseum logo is found on the page of Art Gallery of Ontario):

https://boxwood.ago.ca/publication/small-wonders-late-gothic-boxwood-micro-carvings-low-countries

At the time we are writing this, the link to our favorite chapter in this catalogue  - ''Scale, prayer and play'' by Frits Scholten does not redirect correctly. Use this link instead: https://boxwood.ago.ca/sites/default/files/smallwonders_171-210.pdf

The webpage dedicated to this exposition on the Met Museum homepage were you can find also some of the objects: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2017/small-wonders