Art cabinet, anonymous, c. 1627 - c. 1630
This piece is a veritable princely art collection in miniature. All manner of materials and artefacts have been incorporated into it. Originally the many drawers and compartments contained works of art and natural specimens. They were assembled by the Augsburg merchant, art dealer and diplomat Philipp Hainhofer. The whole constituted a reflection in miniature (microcosm) of the universe (macrocosm). The loose contents were stolen in 1631.