Met Archives 2: Little Critters

In my last letter, I yanked objects from the Met’s archives which mirrored those in my own home; I explored the connective tissue between my own magpie-ism and the histories of some designy objects.

This week, an even narrower scope.

Since the dawn of time, it seems, humans have felt the desire to make little animal figurines. We study nature through them, sometimes treat them as if they’re living things, and treasure their delicate detail. Additionally, they’re a good test of a craftsman’s mimetic abilities: it’s pretty easy for even the untrained eye to tell if an animal is accurately rendered or if it feels…off. Look no further than Albrecht Dürer’s rhinoceros, a print made by someone who’s clearly never seen a rhino but sort of gets the gist (big, has horn, armored, pointy).

I’ll start with my own possessions, as I did last time. At the Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design, I saw so many beautiful hariko papier-mâché figurines and, when I found a hariko koi in the gift shop, fell in love. As it turned out, that fish had a gorgeous companion alongside it who also called to me, so now I have two.

Here are some more figurines—accurate and not-so-much—that represent very human attempts to capture the natural world’s beauty, mystery, sweetness. All of these animals sparked the artists’ interest: some with their pure, broad form; others, their detail; still others, their companionship with fellow creatures. Enjoy!

A small inlaid sculpture of a soft-shelled turtle, Middle Kingdom, ca. 1991-1802 B.C. Amethyst, turquoise, lapis-lazuli, carnelian, adhesive.

Figure of a mouse in deep blue glass, Iran, probably 19th century. Glass; mold-blown with applied decoration.

Toad with a young toad on its back, Italian (Padua), possibly 16th century. Bronze.

Two rabbits, China, 14th-15th century. Jade.

Figurine, Mesopotamia (Nippur), 4th–1st Millennium BC.

Jerboa figurine, Middle Kingdom, ca. 1850–1640 B.C. Faience.

I love you I love you, bye!