119 Knifegrinder at Work, c. 1710–1720 Goldsmith: Johann Heinrich Köhler (1669–1736) Ivory carving: probably Dresden Ivory, silver, gilded, enamelled, baroque pearl, diamonds, coloured glass, wood Inv. no. KH 1914 Johann Heinrich Köhler, court jeweller to Augustus the Strong in Dresden, created several precious objects of this type, each of them exquisitely fashioned. The ivory figurine of the knifegrinder, however, was made by a different artist. Like peddlers, itinerant knifegrinders made a meagre living, plying their trade door to door. By the 16th and 17th century, the figure of the hawker, often dressed in outlandish rags, began to feature in works of art, above all in prints. In the Baroque period, courtly society affected a romanticising interest in the customs of the common people. In an effort to temporarily loosen the stays of the rigid court ceremonial, courtiers organised costume parties to mark holidays and special events, disguising themselves as common labourers, peasants or gardeners. Elaborate goldsmith-made figurines such as this, which combined a wealth of precious materials and complex techniques, found their way into the princely treasuries, where mirrors enhanced their splendid effect. Their subject matter was echoed a little later in numerous, equally jewel-like figurines of artisans and market traders made by the famous Meissen porcelain manufactory. _KAM
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