Miniature Grotto

In France, independent craftspeople known as emaillers specialized in small glass figures made by melting rods of opaque and colored glass (emaille) into a molten liquid, which they applied onto metal armatures. Such figures were made in several regions of Europe, but by the 1700s the French city of Nevers was especially well-known for them. Their relatively low cost made them accessible to a range of consumers, who could purchase individual figures or sophisticated compositions presented in glazed frames or boxes. Secular and religious subjects were sometimes combined in intricate dioramas designed to delight and instruct.