Springerle Mold c. 1937

This Springerle Mold was made by Charles Von Urban, who lived from 1855 to 1995. Can you imagine the feel of the wooden mold in your hands? The pressure needed to make those perfect, evocative shapes? Each of the twelve circles on the mold contain these intricate, individual worlds framed by a wreath. A world in a world! A building, a horse, a human figure, a flower – each one distinct, yet unified by the frame. I wonder about the artist's process. Did he sketch these scenes first? How did he get such detail into the wood? And what about the baker? How many cookies did they make with this mold, each a little artwork of its own? It makes you think about all the artists who came before, all the people making things, the conversation that echoes through time as we try to capture, shape, and share our world.