For more than 250 years, this extraordinary gold-mounted stone cabinet has concealed a remarkable secret.
Sotheby's specialist Alexandra Starp reveals one of the rarest surviving creations by Dresden court lapidary Christian Gottlieb Stiehl. Formed from an intricate mosaic of colorful hardstones and gemstones, the object is as much a work of art as it is a celebration of the natural world. Hidden inside is an original handwritten booklet identifying every stone used in its creation—an astonishing survival that transforms the object into its own cabinet of curiosities.
With only ten examples recorded, this miniature masterpiece stands among the most beautiful and technically accomplished treasures of 18th-century Europe. This stone cabinet is on offer as part of A Marvelous Journey: The Collection of Maurice Tempelsman taking place 24 June in New York.
