A tiny gentleman

[nid_dabeille]

I have come to realize that I love the word "tiny."  If something is described as tiny, I can't help but be attracted.  Just now I found this on ebay in the medical and scientific antiques category.

RARE, TINY, UNSIGNED, COMPLETE SCREW BARREL MICROSCOPE
A very rare and early screw barrel microscope with ivori (sic) simple lens on ornate brass arm and 4 numbered and capped objectives. Although unsigned, it is most assuredly from a fine 18th century maker. The flared simple magnifier eyepiece, the roping of the brasswork, the capped objectives, the shaped forceps, etc. would indicate that this was a tiny gentleman's pocket/field microscope of the highest quality. The bone sliders are numbered, the caps and objectives match, there is no damage to any part of this set including the forcep tines and black/ white disc. The threads and spring of the barrel (5/8 " or 20 mm. in diameter) are flawless, as are the optics. All beads of the objectives are intact. The case too, is flawless and is composed of black sharkskin with push button closure. It measures only 118 x 58 x 26 mm. (4 5/8 x 2 3/8 x 1" high) and every space is filled! An asset to any serious collection.

Heehee, tiny gentleman.  Misplaced modifier.  But still, TINY!  (Like Stephen's tiny sneeze!)  I also like the word "little."  And doesn't that description just sound so loving? 

And speaking of ebay scientific antique instruments, look at this, nautical people:
AN 18TH CENTURY KIT OF NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS TOOLS.

Pretty pretty.  And I love the porte-crayon and the ruling pen.  I wonder if the ruling pen fits into the porte-crayon?  It looks like it must, and that would be handy.

ETA:  And don't miss out on your chance to own:
19 antique human glass eyes!!!!!!!
They're beautiful.  And creepy, I have to admit.

Comments

[grace-poppy.livejournal.com]

Bernini? Why Bernini?

Yeah, they do kind of take themselves too seriously. "I wonder if Julienne loves me or Hubert? Woe is me. I shall write a sonnet." Hmm, no wonder people develop soap operas. The dolls practically make them do it.

Also, the dolls are rather large and a bit too possessive, as in becoming possessed by an evil spirit, and evil dolls of horror movies. Tiny poppets never become evil. *eyes the bjds watchfully*

[saibrrmen.livejournal.com]

You know, I have no idea. I have a sculptorcrush on Bernini. Might have a part in it.

There are smaller ones :D they come in different sizes. 70 cm I think is the biggest. Smallest I've seen... size of a quarter.

BJDs: *eye you back*

[grace-poppy.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I've never liked Bernini much. I kind of don't like Italian baroque, anyway. All that ecstasy of emotion. Of course he's brilliantly talented. He's just so gushy, though.

Sorry, but this made me LOL.
http://www.limhwa.com/charitymano.htm
Also - "Doll Artist to the Stars" made me lol too. Do the stars really need their own doll artist?
"Oh Tiffani, I need a doll but I don't know who to turn to!"
"Well, Justine, I always go to Gregg Ortiz. He makes dolls for LOTS of stars!"

[saibrrmen.livejournal.com]

He's so AMAZING! Have you seen his statue of Longinus? HOLY CRAP, CLOTH! Of course it was done in four pieces (Michelangelo: Pah. I speet on your four-piece monstrosity.) I suppose I don't look so much at the religious-ecstasy part 'cause I'm not religious anyway. Doesn't bother me :D

LOL, don't apologize. A lot of the doll stuff makes me lol. It's why I lurk more at Den of Demons (sensible doll people forum--oxymoron?) than Den of Angels, where most of the lulz originates. Plus, adorable Engrish abounds.

[grace-poppy.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah... cloth... He's definitely amazing. He's just so flamboyant, such a show-off and over-the-top for me. Like the mannerists - I dislike mannerism because I just want to tell them "Ok, ok, I get the POINT. Now will you do it like NORMAL now?"

Not that he's mannerist in that weird abstracting way, but - I dunno. Art seems to come and go in waves of emotional outbursts and intellectual serenity - the linests vs the colorists, the Poussinists vs the Rubenistes, medieval-renaissance vs. baroque-roccoco, Dutch vs. Italian, reformation vs counter-reformation, neoclassicism vs romanticism... and I usually tend to lean toward the more reserved, intellectual, calm classical sides.

[saibrrmen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's true. I'm so dazzled by his technical prowess-- or perfection, rather. guuuh shinies.

Haha, well you would do. Quite right, too. I tend to get all OOHH can't see the painting for the brushstrokes SHINY grab ooh I wish I could do that, so I don't really think about it in that way... shame, really.

[grace-poppy.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, his technical prowess is excellent. I certainly admire his skill, his talent. It's just his TASTE that disagrees with me. :P

Well, I think it's just the kind of artwork I'm more naturally drawn to. Not 100%, but moreso than not. But there's nothing wrong with preferring baroque, romanticism, etc.

[saibrrmen.livejournal.com]

Mmm... I was thinking more of what a waste it was that I can't understand art, even though I can appreciate it technically. There was a nice bloke from the local art college who tried to school me in the ways of Rothko, Mueck, Schiele, and all those more abstract more modern artists but god, I couldn't understand it at all-- yes, glowy floating squares of color are more difficult than they look, it isn't hard to appreciate Mueck's hyperrealism, and Schiele's just plain weird, but it all went over my head. Or hit my head and bounced back because it was too hard.

[grace-poppy.livejournal.com]

Well, things make much more sense in context. If you lift them out of the context of art history and regular history, they might stand alone just fine, but they make so much more sense if you know what was going on at the time and what led up to them, etc. Same with history and understanding why wars happen, why governments change, etc.

[saibrrmen.livejournal.com]

That's true, I am sure... but even within context I fail to understand most things. My knowledge of history is too general and I know very little about the artists' backgrounds, too. S'pose analyzing pieces of literature is much the same to pieces of art, tho'. I just haven't had a series of four very difficult very blunt Art teachers to tell me No, that is a misinterp you fool, do a redraw and you may get a C.

[grace-poppy.livejournal.com]

And I'm going to bed now. Bye!

[saibrrmen.livejournal.com]

Aw. well Good morning! :D