Existing comment:
Training the Princely Mind and Hand
The Kunstkammer often included not only mathematical instruments but also the most advanced devices of artisanal production, which "prince practitioners" used in workshops appended to their collections. Early modern science, which can be broadly described as the investigation of nature and the cosmos, covered a wide range of activities. As pursuits such as turning ivory, practicing alchemy, or working as a goldsmith became seen as legitimate ways of studying natural forces, the powerful funneled resources toward them, seeking to develop visionary products and processes.
These activities were also essential to courtly education and leisure. Princes competed to acquire the most cutting-edge tools and to earn renown for their abilities, strengthening their legitimacy as sovereigns. Technical knowledge was tied to political authority, morality, and wisdom. The honing of skill in a range of disciplines was likened to the self-mastery and practical wisdom deemed fundamental traits of a good ruler. Craft tools served as proof of these virtues, so princes displayed lavish examples in the Kunstkammer alongside showpieces produced with them by distinguished master artisans. |