Hand stone
A hand stone (from hand stone), not to be confused with hand piece , is a term from mineralogy and originally referred to a particularly beautifully crystallized mineral or ore stage , which the miner could bring into the daylight as an object to be viewed because of its handy size, such as a Piece made from "Rotvaligerz" ( Proustit or Pyrargyrite ).
In the following, the term hand stone is used for artistically processed ore steps that were attached to silver-plated or gold-plated bases. Mining scenes are also shown with the inclusion of religious symbols.
The hand stones, which were created in the 16th century in the period of the late Renaissance and especially in Mannerism , combine nature and art, creating bizarre showpieces made of precious minerals and crystals. These were collected by wealthy citizens or princes and exhibited in their art and wonder chambers. The proven place of manufacture is St. Joachimsthal in the Czech Republic with Concz Welcz (who worked after 1520) and Caspar Ulich, who made hand stones there in the third quarter of the 16th century.
In the 18th century, hand stone production experienced a revival, which was characterized by the use of many and different materials. The hand stones were used, among other things, as a centerpiece and still represent the mining industry and mining technology of that time. Hand stones from Herrengrund in Slovakia from around 1730 are known.
On the basis of analyzes of the minerals used, handstones from the 18th century could be assigned to their places of origin, especially areas in the Czech Republic around Příbram and around Kremnitz , Banská Bystrica , Banská Štiavnica and Neusohl in today's Slovakia . The filler or adhesive between the minerals was also examined and revealed tree sap .
Web links
- The large art lexicon from PW Hartmann - Handstein
- Hand stones from the 16th century and from the baroque period
Individual evidence
- ↑ Barbara Balážová: From the “Naturalia” to the “Theatrum Machinarum”. Baroque hand stones from the central Slovak mining towns. In: Opuscula historiae Artium , Vol. 66, Num. 1, 2017, pp. 10–43