Canister Tower with its Case

1657

Achille (Agamemnon?) Hermansreyt

This ivory canister tower sculpted by Achilles Hermansreyt belonged to the Wunderkammer (cabinet of curiosities) of the princely German house of Thurn und Taxis. Next to its maker’s signature is the inscription 'hoc opvs centrale / ingenio svo primvs extvlit' (with this major artwork / he wanted to express his creative genius), which extols his intellectual qualities rather than his manual skill. These items appeared in cabinets of curiosities not only as extraordinary objects but also as tangible evidence of the human genius, not least because ivory is a material endowed with great biblical significance as a symbol of purity.

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