18th century Tea Caddy
I look forward to visiting the upcoming Emulating Books: Book Objects from the Lynn and Bruce Heckman Gift which is an intriguing new exhibition that features a wide range of items which look like books but aren’t. Running through July 16 in the Thomas J. Watson Library at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, it explores inventive book-like objects which have been made from stone, wood, and precious metal, and serving as lockets, lanterns, toys, and needlework accessories.
Folding lantern in book form 1861
The exhibition features examples from the Heckman collection, a gift to the Thomas J. Watson Library from Lynn Geringer Heckman who started collecting book-like objects – sometimes known as ‘blooks’ – with her late husband Bruce Heckman in 1989, putting together more than 1,000 items.
19th century travel souvenir
19th century inkwell
Highlights (all in book form) include domino and alphabet games, a folding stereoscopic viewer, a snake trick, a child’s paint box, a travelling inkwell, and an Agate book charm which is probably a watch fob.
Domino game
Graduated, three-tiered, footed box in book form
Book-like amusements, friendship gifts, love tokens, and miniatures have been made for many purposes in a wide range of designs and materials. People from many cultures, ages, and social and economic strata made and owned them, and whether useful or symbolic, many were kept over the generations and revered as personal treasures and family heirlooms. Anyone who enjoys games today may be familiar with bookshelf games and puzzle boxes but may not realize that games, toys, and other amusements, like the snake trick, book-shaped chess board, spelling game, and domino set shown, have such a long history. The tradition of making and giving jewelry, treasure boxes, and other personal book-shaped items as symbols of remembrance, love, and friendship is an old one too, as illustrated by the bone and silver charms, jewelry, monogramed toothpick case (for the person who has everything), and the other unusual tiny treasures in this case. Other love tokens and miniatures have been peppered throughout the exhibition.
Travel Between The Pages 