Watch 1545 - 1555

Editor: So, this object is called "Watch," dating from 1545 to 1555. It’s currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The material is listed as metal, and it’s actually a relief sculpture. What first struck me is its size and how incredibly detailed it is for such a small object. It almost feels like a coin. What can you tell me about what's going on here? Curator: Indeed, the artistry within this miniature sculpture speaks volumes. Observe the scene depicted: King Solomon’s judgment. This narrative, pulled directly from cultural memory, resonates through the careful engraving. The rendering connects temporal functionality to lasting moral wisdom. The craftsmanship echoes that of religious reliquaries of the era. Notice the text etched in the round; what story does it tell? Editor: The inscription says “King Solomoniat das Recht urtail gefelt wie in der Bibel stat.” It almost feels like a label to reinforce the idea, to remove ambiguity? Curator: Exactly. That language secures its meaning within the cultural narrative. However, it also asks the owner: Can they make just and righteous decisions in daily life, just like Solomon? How does the functionality of this watch contribute to its symbolic meaning? Editor: I guess time, precious time, becomes a reminder of mortality, and of the importance of justice? To be right in time? Curator: Precisely. A timepiece, reminding one of passing time, then becomes not just an instrument, but a potent symbol laden with the gravity of moral accountability. So much weight in a small item. Editor: It’s amazing to consider how people carried not just tools, but whole stories. Thank you! Curator: It was a pleasure. Thinking through its function as a wearable object adds dimensions to its resonance as sculpture and story.