18th century cultural life was shaped by an intense passion for classical art and culture. Alongside ancient authors, monumental buildings, statues and vases, tiny gems were also revered – precious stones whose fantastic imagery uniquely epitomized the world of antiquity. Since ancient pieces were highly coveted yet only affordable to the wealthy few, a flourishing market emerged for highly accurate and detailed reproductions. True-to-scale plaster casts that vividly captured the essence of a piece were particularly popular.

The Studio exhibit is presenting plaster cast collections of ancient gems, a wildly successful yet virtually forgotten reproduction medium from an era fascinated with classical antiquity. Also on display are the comments published alongside the reproduction collections, which are kept at the Landesbibliothek Coburg today. The artistic molds and the richly illustrated comments impressively demonstrate this epoch’s deep appreciation for humanistic education.

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Moving museum – Cultural breakfast  (in German language, registration required)

Thursday, 21 November 2019, 10 am

Sunday, 24 November 2019, 11 am

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Guided tour with the curator (in German language, no registration needed)

Friday, 14 February 2020, 2 pm