From the museum’s press release, 4 July 2016
Boxwood prayer beads, rosaries and miniature altarpieces made in Northern Europe during the early 1500s demonstrate the limitless potential of human artistic practice. These tiny masterpieces, small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, depict complex scenes with elegance and precision. Without fail, they inspire viewers to ask how a person could have possibly made them, a question that can only be answered today.
Debuting in Toronto on Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures,for the first time brings together more than 60 rare boxwood carvings from institutions and private collections across Europe and North America. The exhibition offers new insight into the methods of production and cultural significance of these awe-inspiring works of art. Highlighting the cutting edge technology used by curators and conservators in their search to understand these miniature sculptures..
Following its debut at the AGO, the exhibition will travel to New York to appear at the The Met Cloisters at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Feb. 21, 2017, before travelling to the Rijksmuseum on June 15, 2017.
Catalogue and CODART eZine
An extensive scholarly publication edited by Frits Scholten, with contributions by Barbara Drake Boehm, Pete Dandridge, Lisa Ellis, Reindert Falkenburg, Ingmar Reesing, Frits Scholten, and Sasha Suda will be published by the Rijksmuseum.
See the article Investigating Miniature Boxwood Carving at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto by Alexandra Suda and Lisa Ellis in the CODART eZine for more information and pictures.
Related CODART publications
Dr. Alexandra Suda, “Investigating Miniature Boxwood Carving at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto”, CODARTfeatures, February 2013.