Only 135 miniature boxwood carvings exist in the entire world, and very little has been known about them until now. But one thing that everyone has always agreed on is that they are sensationally beautiful, and must have been crafted by awesomely talented and patient artisans. Allegedly made during the early 16th century, recent technological advancements at the Art Gallery of Ontario have laid bare just how they were made. Read on to learn more, while you marvel at some superb images of these portable religious carvings.
Amazed and confounded, researchers recently took these 500-year-old little wonders to their lab to uncover their secrets.
It's thought that they were created between 1500 and 1530 in the Netherlands or Flanders.
Our human eyes are not made to take in such small details.
That's why it was necessary to use micro-CT scanning and Advanced 3-D Analyzing Software...
...to discover just how intricate these objects really are.
Their analysis found joints within the inner layers that were so small they couldn't be detected without a microscope or X-ray.
The features are held together by pins smaller than grass seeds.
Yet, there are some things that the technology wasn't able to spot...
...because gold and other decorative materials prevent the X-rays from penetrating deeper.
In 16th century Europe, a rising middle class sought religious trinkets they could carry around with them.
Yet, when the Reformation led to a questioning of the use of 'Idols', such artifacts fell out of use, and the skill was never passed on.
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