Secret
Objects that appear purely functional on the surface can sometimes hold certain secrets within. Decorative art pieces are often filled with hidden surprises invented by their creators. Artisans with boundless creativity have hidden the functionality and purpose of their works, showcasing astonishing craftsmanship.
Indeed, some decoration details or multifunctionalities were only revealed after closer inspection. Whereas some messages were left to be deciphered by a given recipient.
Art pieces may also convey hidden messages and emotions, such as the gilt-bronze box bearing one hundred footprints, letters, and signs arranged in rows. These symbols come together to compose a riddle, and become the key to discovering a shared secret.
Multiple savoir-faire long eluded knowledge or recognition, requiring painstaking research and multiple experiments to come to light, while others were only discovered through cross-cultural trade.
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Chinese-inspired barometer and thermometer
Paris, c. 1750
Wood, French lacquer, bronze, porcelain and ivory
Musée des Arts DécoratifsTake a look at the surprising piece in this display: it looks like a building with Eastern architecture made from a combination of diverse materials, including:
• lacquer
• gilt bronze
• porcelain
• and ivory.
You can get an inkling of this piece’s function from the discreet little glass tube in the center: it is a thermometer. However, this house does not only measure the temperature — the two little figures you can see are part of an ingenious mechanism that acts as a barometer.
The two little maidens in old-fashioned dress, stand on a little platform. Variations in the level of humidity in the air affects a fine catgut string behind the platform. This then sends one of the figures backwards while the other moves forwards.
On the upper part of the little podium you can see a male figure standing in front of an ivory altar.
A moving butterfly made of gilt-bronze openwork has alighted on the top of the little house – the butterfly is actually a weather vane!This piece was dreamt up by marchands-merciers — tradesmen who operated outside the French guild system and dominated the Parisian luxury market with their innovations. This is embodied here by the harmonious blend of beauty and utility. Made in 1750, this piece also attests to that period’s love of materials like porcelain and lacquer, both of which originated in East Asia. When these materials were brought to the West, imitations quickly became rife. The combination of materials in this piece and its architectural form reflect the syncretism at that time, which saw Chinese elements assimilated into Western artefacts. This movement has been termed "chinoiserie" by historians.
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Small-scale model of the Varuna yacht
1906
Yellow gold, silver, jasper, wood and enamel
Van Cleef & Arpels CollectionThe ship you are looking at now is the oldest piece in the Van Cleef & Arpels patrimonial collection and it is emblematic of the Maison’s early days. The precious object is a small-scale reproduction of the Varuna yacht.
The original ship was built in 1896 to cross the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, it was considered one of the most majestic steamships of its time. The Varuna belonged to Eugene Higgins, heir to a rich American family, that commissioned this miniature model from Van Cleef & Arpels.
Made in 1906, the miniature ship is strikingly realistic: the yellow gold yacht has two masts and a central funnel; the hull is decorated with green and white enamel; and there are six lifeboats suspended along the boat, also embellished with white enamel.
You can see further proof of the Maison’s remarkable attention to detail in: the engraved silver decks and ropes; the enameled American flag flying at the stern; and, the lifebuoy, which reads “Varuna – NYC”.
The boat is navigating rough, carved-jasper seas; and the entire object is set on a gold-rimmed ebony base.
This ship was not purely decorative – it also had a secret function! The top of the funnel hides an electric bell that the owner used to summon his butler!
The attention to detail and the tiny electrical circuit in this object, make it a masterpiece of technical skill and craftsmanship.
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Olive pit carved as a miniature boat inscribed with the Latter Ode on the Red Cliff on the bottom Ch
Qing dynasty, the second year of Qianlong reign (1737)
Olive pit
National Palace MuseumCan you believe that this tiny boat was carved from an olive pit? It takes the form of a traditional Chinese gondola and stands just 1.6 cm high and 3.4 cm long!
The piece owes its delicacy to the detailed rendering of the boat and characters, all of which occupy just one square centimeter.
Take a closer look at the details:
You can see a bamboo wicker pattern on top of the boat.
Four working casement windows line either side of the hull. The windows are decorated with carved latticework known as huachuang (花窗). The middle two windows open to reveal figures in the cabin.
Inside, you can see two elderly men: one is wearing a headscarf and sitting by the window; the other is seated upright in front of a table laid with crockery and his arm is slightly raised.
If you look at the bow of the tiny boat, you can see another elderly gentleman squatting down. Two boys are brewing tea beside him and you can see a stove, teapot, and tea caddy. Behind these three figures stands a third boy.
There are eight figures on the vessel in total.The boat also holds secrets: the artist used semi-cursive script to engrave the bottom of the boat with the Latter Ode on the Red Cliff by Song poet Su Shi. The artist also added his signature: Chen Zuzhang.
The poem’s protagonist Master Su Shi, is also hidden on the boat and can be spotted through the window.
Chen Zuzhang was a renowned ivory carver; and he made this boat at the Qing palace Zaobanchu (造辦 處) in 1773, the second year of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.
Carving miniatures from fruit kernels, pits and stones was a folk craft that flourished during the Ming dynasty. Peach stones, walnut shells, and olive pits were chosen for their tensile strength and fine grain. Many techniques were used to make these miniature carvings, including relief, in the round—the technique used for the boat you are looking at now—, and fretwork. These miniature carved worlds took inspiration from a wide range of subjects, and were commonly used for jewelry, fan pendants, prayer beads, and furnishings.
This finely-carved boat embodies the expression, “small but mighty.
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