In today's museums and collection circles, replicas are often not valued, and are even synonymous with "perfunctory", "fake" and "short". However, a hundred or two hundred years ago, "replication" was not an area that ordinary people could easily enter, and "replication" could also be art.
This story is about a type of replica and the artist behind them. Let's start with the modern Western "micro-sculpted gem boom" and the popular fashion hit "Tasi gem" ...
Medieval River Basin Agate rolling printing, Central Assyrian period (1300 BC), animal fighting scenes, British Museum collection
1
"Speed Treasure Room" and the micro-carved gem craze
Although for most traditional Western collectors, "micro-carved gems" mainly refers to the engraved or relief gem ring faces of Greece and Rome, as well as scarab or scarab (Scaraboid), today's scholars are also accustomed to listing the oldest rolling seals in West Asia (a prehistoric cylindrical seal). Therefore, made and used "micro-sculpted gemstones" back more than 5,000 years ago. In Europe, the small stone seals used by Mediterranean Mino civilization and Mycenae civilization can also be traced back to more than two thousand BC. This small treasure gathers humans' supreme pursuit of the beauty of natural creation and the essence of skilled craftsmanship. In the past, it once carried various important social functions, and today it has become the goal of collectors' pursuit.
0 1 Agate Rolling Printing, Late Mino Civilization (1600 BC-1400 BC), people riding horses were found in Crete , British Museum Collection
blue chalcedony Scaraboid (Scaraboid), Greek Classical period (4th century BC), Goddess of Victory and the meritorious column, British Museum's collection
Archaeological discoveries have proven that Eurasian In history, many emperors and nobles have purposefully collected micro-carved gems. However, to say that there is a truly large-scale and extensive collection trend, the Renaissance was the beginning. The popular "cabinet of curiosity" , which was at the time, was a "phenomenal" equipment. This specially opened room often displays various strange objects, including artworks, antiquities, biological and ore specimens and even various indescribable objects. Micro-sculpted gemstones are one of the most common collections in the "Qianqi Room". Because of their small size and extremely ornamentality, they often collect in large quantities.
Until the future, the "Qizhen Room" was reduced to "Qizhen Cabinet" and then (the name has not changed, it is shrinked into some small cabinets) , micro-sculpted gems are still one of the main collections. The author has seen displays of old collections of local wealthy people in the Frankfurt Museum. The drawer of the "Qizhen Cabinet" can hold dozens to hundreds of micro-carved gems or coins in one layer. In the mid-15th century, it was said that Germany had at least 175 "treasure chambers" mainly made of micro-carved gems, Italy had at least 380, and France had at least 200.
html "Qian Treasure Cabinet" by collectors from Frankfurt in Germany in the 118th century. It is used to store manuscripts and coins, "micro-carved gemstones" and other small objects. It is exhibited in the Frankfurt City Museum
8th century German collectors from Frankfurt in Germany, one of which contains the drawer of "micro-carved gemstones".
html "Qijie Cabinet" by collectors in Frankfurt, Germany in the 118th century, one of which contains the drawer of ancient coins . The trend of micro-sculpting of gemstones also came in the 18th century.The maturity of museum concepts and printing technology contributed a lot to the collection trend during this period. The publication of some large-scale micro-sculpted gem collection catalogs stimulated young and wealthy "newcomers". Many of them were industrialists, financial tycoons or fashion leaders. They abandoned the purpose of closedness and simple display of the collections of the old nobles and churches, but instead regarded them as a way to educate themselves and realize their own value. As a result, is the soaring price of micro-sculpted gemstones and the embarrassment of having no market value.
The imbalance in supply and demand often means a potential new market. The "micro-sculpting Gem Boom" not only made a group of masters famous, but also inspired the creativity of a group of ideas. They are eyeing a new "trend" model that combines skills and business: Copy .
This laid the groundwork for the "Tasi Gem" that appeared in the market later.
onym relief, late 16th century Milan craftsman Girolamo Miseroni carving, black girl bust, Vienna Museum of Art History Collection
Gold Habsburg family pedigree tree, carved Habsburg family members hanging on the tree by Nuremberg craftsman Christoph Dorsch Carved between 1725 and 1730, the Vienna Museum of Art History collected
onyx emboss sculpture, in the late 18th century, by the craftsman Gasparo della Guardia Capparoni carving, the eagle fed by the goddess of youth Heber feeds Zeus, the Vienna Museum of Art History collects
2
"replica" business opportunity induces new material development
"replica"replica" of artworks, popular today is called "cultural and creative", but Europe at that time did not have this concept, and foreign antique dealers now like to call the replicas of the time "Grand Tour" artwork . This word comes from a popular travel nostalgia among the "upstarts" in Europe (especially the UK) at that time, and is also a way for the elite circle to "improve" itself.
In fact, as early as the late Middle Ages, the reproduction of artistic masterpieces was already a very professional profession . The reputation of "replicators" is often not inferior to those "original" masters, and they can even become guests of important art academies and institutions. For example, some famous painters will work together with the "replicator" or the printmaker, and use the prints that can be printed in large quantities to advertise their new works; museums and art academies will hire sculpture copy craftsmen (some of whom are masters of sculpture) to make research and copy copies.
The "Cast Courts" at the Victoria and Albert Museum of Art in London, where replicas of many world-famous sculptures collected by Queen Victoria are exhibited here.
The "model-turning courtyard" scene of Victoria and Albert Museum of Art, London
8th century, some visionary craftsmen saw the business opportunity of micro-carved gemstone copying : Although the collection of the original micro-carved gemstones is in the "small circle", if the cost of the replica is low enough and practical, it can be connected to the "earth atmosphere" of a larger market.
History has also proved that the "mass-production" of durable micro-sculpted gem replicas has indeed created a group of successful inventors and industrialists. For example, the British national treasure ceramic brand Wikkiwood bone porcelain (jasperware), which has been popular for more than two hundred years, is to introduce the copying technology of micro-carved gemstones into the ceramic production assembly line.
Compared with these successful people, James Tassie, one of the developers who copied the new material "Tasi Gem", was quite a bit late and "independent". His success was also a gift from that era and was difficult to replicate in later generations.
micro-sculpted gem gypsum molding device in "fake book", 19th century, British Museum collected
Wikiwood bone porcelain decorative plate, 18th century, Cupid wedding, British Museum collected
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Wikiwood bone porcelain pendant, 18th century, Hercules carries the Cretan Bull, Victoria and Albert Museum of Art Collection
3
fashion hit : "Tasi Gem"
735, James Taasi was born in Pollokshaws, in the southern suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. The ancestors of the Tasi family took refuge in Italy and came to Scotland . They have made a living from leather manufacturing for generations. James' grandfather is a cobbler. However, the young James did not inherit the family industry, but became a stonemason, whose daily work was to carve the tombstone. However, James Tassi was obviously not satisfied with the ordinary craftsman life in the town. During this period, he came into contact with the famous printer Robert Foulis & Andrew Foulis, who devoted all their time to opening the art academy in Glasgow , and James Tassi naturally became a student, majoring in sculpture.
James Tassi portrait oil painting, painted by his classmate David Alan in 1781, National Gallery of Scotland collection
763, 28-year-old James graduated from Glasgow College. Among his graduates of the same period were David Allan and William Cochrane, who later became famous in the Scotland and even European painting scenes. In the same year, James went to DublinHiddenHin3 to find employment, where he met Dr. Henry Quin, a professor of medicine at Dublin Medical College. Dr. Quinn was addicted to making micro-sculpted gem replicas to pass the time, and had made a lot of improvements in technology. He was moved by James' patience and down-to-earth, so he hired him as an assistant. They jointly developed a white near-opacity glass material with jade texture, or "white enamel composition" (white enamel composition) . This kind of glass later became the material for portraits of the "Tasi Gem".
Prints drawn by David Alan showcase the micro-sculpted gems collected by Charles Tanglei, a famous British antiquity scholar. The latter is also one of Tashi's customers
"white enamel" relief, remade by the Tashi family, bust of the Roman noble Anthony Drusus, British Museum's collection
"white enamel" relief, remade by Tasi family, bust of Roman emperor Vespasian, private collection
copy craftsmen not only need to master the formula and operation technology, but also select the correct glass frit based on the original to achieve the effect of approaching the original gems, and even be able to be real (some museums in early Europe did use the "Tasi gems" as a collection of relics from ancient Greece and Rome). Some molds made of not-so-perfect originals also require post-refining. These tasks require replica craftsmen to have extremely high artistic cultivation and meticulous patience, which is exactly the strength of James Tassi. One of his magical features has to be mentioned here: unlike many "big trip" enthusiasts, he has never left London after starting the business of "Tasi Gem". The mold templates of the "Tasi Gem" come from almost all over Europe, and most of them were first hired by the owners of the "Qi Gem Room" to make sulfur flips and send them to him, and then he performed a secondary flip.Sometimes the quality of the sulfur turntable is very rough, while the final "Tasi Gem" finished product of is still comparable to the original .
Another "business" of James tests his artistic talent, which is the copy of the wax portrait of . The processing of wax figures is much more time-saving and flexible than gems and semi-precious stones, and can even be quickly completed at the customer's home like painting portraits. Of course, gem carving craftsmen can also carve portraits, but in most cases they can only ponder the portraits or wax figures in their own workshops. James's process is even more "pleasant". He first completed the wax figure creation at his customer's home, and then went home and then used the wax figure to turn it around. Finished glass micro-carved portraits perfectly avoid the problem of wax figures being too fragile: they no longer have to be carefully installed in the frame, but can be embedded in furniture or jewelry.
"white enamel" relief using " Bloodstone " substrate, made by James Tassey, King of England George III bust, Buckingham Palace Collection
"white enamel" relief, made by James Tassi, bust of British fleet commander John Lindesey, private collection
"white enamel" relief, made by James Tassi, bust of British geographer James Holden, The National Gallery of Scotland collects
"white enamel" relief, made by James Tassi, a bust of Paul Petrovich (later Tsar Paul I ), Buckingham Palace collects
's "business" has accumulated fame and fans for James, and his artistic talent has been fully utilized. Some of the works that have existed today are still the best in the art of portrait badges of the same period, including many portraits of artists and celebrities at that time, such as his classmate painter David Alan, author Rudolph Erich Laspe (who is also a loyal fan of James), judges Earl Mansfield, Marquis of Rockingham, etc. Tasi's unique blue background "white enamel" color scheme has gradually become popular.
Such a person who combines artistic talent and keen insight is destined to be a simple "craftsman". The micro-sculpted gem replica named after his family - "Tasi Gem", was neither an antique collection nor a cultural heritage, but a true fashionable hit. "Tasi Gem" has excellent quality and sufficient supply, as well as James's rising position in the art world, attracted the big appetite of traditional micro-sculpted gem collectors. The appearance of these super customers is also a high recognition of James Tassi.
The female tsar's order
Catherine the Great (Tsar Catherine II) is one of such super customers. At that time, Emperor Katerina was actively acquiring ancient and contemporary micro-sculpted gem masterpieces for the Russian royal family. According to her own words, she suffered from some kind of "micro-sculpted gem bulimia". The female czar also developed a strong interest in replicas, and James Tassi was on her purchasing list. This order is exaggerated: I want to copy all tens of thousands of micro-carved gems collected by the female tsar, one using glass of the original color of the gem, and the other using "white enamel". In order to complete this super order, James Tassi was busy from 1781 to 1787, during which time he mailed 15,000 copies to St. Petersburg . These "Tasi gems" are certainly not sent in a scattered manner, but are housed in a series of expensive "brilliant cabinets" - all designed by the Tsar's royal architect James Wyatt and created by the famous London craftsman J. Roach.
"White Enamel" relief, made by James Tassi, Tsar Caterina II bust, Buckingham Palace collection
Cabinet ordered by Caterina II to store the "Tasi Gem" and Hermitash Museum collection
Another fact also proves the success of "Tasi Gem". When he was struggling, most of the micro-sculpted gems that James could come into contact with came from some relationships around him or some public molds. In this regard, there are not much difference in studios that make glass replicas at the same time. However, after James's catalog was published in 1775, he began to "sweep" almost all the micro-carved gemstone "Qian Qi Room" in Europe. The number of replica samples quickly exceeded 12,000 (at that time, the samples of other glass replica studios were basically no more than 3,000), and the catalog in 1791 recorded a total of 15,800 replicas.
The small cabinet that stores the "Tasi Gem" was customized in 1786. The door is inlaid with white glass "Tasi Gem". The sulfur flip mold is also used in the cabinet picture above.
The cabinet above stored colored glass "Taxi Gem"
"Taxi" heritage
Later, with the development of photography technology, the reproduction of "micro-sculpted gemstones" inevitably declined as a popular business. However, the "Tasi Gem" lasted for two generations after James' death (1799). His nephew William Tassie even gained a reputation that was not inferior to him. The glass portrait relief he made for British Prime Minister William Pete Jr. (1759-1806) became a member badge of Pitt's club and was once extremely popular.
The third generation inheritor of "Tasi Gem" is William's partner John Wilson , who made badges for King of England William IV and Queen Victoria; another successor is William's nephew Wernon (Rev. William Hardy Vernon , got most of his molds and replica collections, but his descendants sold them one after another; another was the son of an employee of James Tassi, Edinburgh Henry Laing . He worked under William's men for several years, and then brought the "Tassi" technology to Edinburgh and set up his own business. In addition, many craftsmen have been inspired by James Tassi. Their products include wax portraits and their molded ceramic replicas, metal replicas, etc. Many of them are still James' imitators even in style.
Portrait relief, Copper print
Over the past hundred years after the decline of the "Tasi" industry, many micro-carved gem masterpieces were destroyed in war or stolen. Even if Western research traditions have retained some textual materials for them, the incompleteness of intuitive images is undoubtedly a regret. For example, The British Museum has a collection of "Tasi Gem" . The original is a work by the famous 18th century artist Marjonter. Unfortunately, it broke during bombing, but the replica has been well preserved (and probably more than one). The catalog of "Tasi" and the "Tasi Gems" distributed throughout the country complement the regrets brought about by the changes in time and the world. For example, the authoritative reference for understanding the art of micro-sculpting gemstones "A Descriptive Catalog" , which contains most of the mold samples of "Tasi Gems", giving us the opportunity to appreciate the lost beauty again.
rose red glass "Tasi Gem", Achilles mourns the death of his friend, originally as Nathaniel Marjonte (Nathaniel) Marchant, 1739-1816) carving (damaged), British Museum collects
"white enamel" relief portrait of celebrity, produced by James Tassey, auctioned by Rosemary in London in July 2022, 1000 pound sold (two pieces in total)
"A Descriptive The picture version in Catalogue is collected from the Oxford University Bizli Gem Database. The catalog of Tasi works
Today's "Tasi Gem" (especially portrait) still has a good performance in international auctions. Unfortunately, James, his partners and successors are both tight-lipped about the formula. After his nephew William passed away, this kind of "white enamel" formula was lost. Although the academic community has conducted scientific analysis of the "Tasi Gem", it cannot completely restore its production formula.
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