In the 1560s, Georg Bocskay, imperial secretary to Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, created a calligraphy showpiece called the Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta: a demonstration of every known script, executed with extraordinary precision. Thirty years later, Joris Hoefnagel filled the margins with plants and insects, painted in watercolor with gold and silver paint so fine the brushwork must be seen under magnification. The two projects were created decades apart by men who never collaborated, and yet they read as though designed for one another.
These two mugs reproduce pages from the manuscript: one showing basil thyme, poppy anemone, and myrtle; one showing speckled wood butterfly, talewort, garden pea, and lantern plant. Fine bone china, 12 oz each. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Packaged as a set in a keepsake gift box.
From the permanent collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
