Zprávy památkové péče 2017, 77(1-2):26-35

Handstein for Joseph II - tabletop miniature of the industrial landscape of Central Slovak mining towns

Barbara Balážová

Ústav dejín umenia Slovenskej akadémie vied

Within the concept of the early modern age Kunstkammer, in which objects were placed not according to type, but within a network of meanings, and in which not only paintings, sculptures, arts and crafts, antique and exotic coins, medals and valuables, but also e.g. animals, fruits, seeds, rocks and minerals, musical instruments, clocks and technical instruments represented the basic categories Naturalia, Artificialia, Scientifica, and Antiquitatis, the "handstein" was a prime example of a rare object symbolizing mining sites in particular, not only of Europe but also of other parts of the world. Primarily, it was therefore an object that represented the distinctive and mysterious space of the underground world and was naturally included in the category of Naturalia, but also equally represented a tabletop-sized miniature industrial mining landscape: this is how handsteins were presented and arranged for various festive occasions. From a philosophical and conceptual point of view, the handstein represented the classic element of Earth in the early modern museum of knowledge; the handstein did not merely represent the Earth as such, but primarily its conquest and subjugation through mining activities. From the perspective of conventional categorization, the Kunstkammer of Samuel Quiccheberg (1529-1567) in particular would have fulfilled the conditions for inclusion in the "first section", i.e. between objects representing the ruler and his achievements on the territories subject to him. Thanks to the number of written sources, Baroque handsteins from Central Slovak towns can also be seen within the context of memorabilia: two masters, Matthias Scarwuth (1722-1802) and Franz Xaver Glantz († 1772/1774), created handsteins for the Roman King and future Emperor Joseph II (1741-1790) as a presentation of mining activities in the form of memories and souvenirs of his trip on the occasion of his visit to Central Slovak mining towns. The object directly and educationally visualized and miniaturized, in a single artifact, the entire process of mining and ore processing by the methods used in 1764, in the year of his visit, i.e. recording the understanding and submission of the landscape by humans through a theatrum machinarum, something overwhelming and breathtaking for the early modern visitor to mine sites.

Keywords: Central Slovak mining town, Kunstkammer, handstein, industrial landscape, theatrum machinarum

Published: March 1, 2017  Show citation