Craft, Labour and Cabinets of Curiosities: Rethinking the Body of the Artisan

Abstract This article asks how we should best historically situate processes of making and knowing in early modern luxury crafts. It focuses on the Augsburg merchant Philipp Hainhofer (1578–1647) his celebrated cabinets curiosities. The methodologically argues for need to cross-fertilize scholarship ‘the body artisan’ (Pamela H. Smith) with history labour. notion European ‘artisan’ involved ‘making knowing’ has unwittingly tended conjure up image an unquestionably male often autonomous practitioner soberly immersed experiment. By contrast, that lived ‘bodies’ were diverse subjected far more disciplining strain than hitherto been highlighted. A culture secrecy fostered isolation. Increased alcohol consumption interrelated cultivation wit as intellectual affective practice. considers differences social status religious beliefs created tensions among these makers pays attention gendered nature types employment hidden global knowledge labour upon which they depended. focusing primarily Hainhofer’s published unpublished correspondence, against generalized conception artefacts emerged from a ‘flow’ between materials demonstrates craft can be situated social, economic cultural contexts. Material communities crafts characterized by systemic strain, conflicts find shortcuts, but also pleasure, wit, resistance, tenacity opportunities conceptual thinking.