Fireworks display by Engelhart Holtzschuer, Jobst Wilhelm Ebner and Johann Tobias Ebner as proof of mastership, Nuremberg, 1661 1661

Lukas Schnitzer's etching from 1661, captures a fireworks display in Nuremberg, a spectacle rich in symbolic potency. The dominant motif, of course, is fire, here unleashed in elaborate patterns against the night sky. Across cultures and epochs, fire has represented purification, transformation, but also destruction. Think of the fires of the Roman god Vulcan, or the bonfires of pre-Christian solstice celebrations. In this display, we witness fire's transformative power used to symbolize the mastery and innovation of the pyrotechnicians. The cherubic figures adorning the inscription banner at the upper left introduce a touch of sacredness, as if to elevate the spectacle from mere entertainment to a quasi-religious experience. The urge to control and display fire taps into something primal, evoking a sense of awe and vulnerability. It is a fleeting moment of triumph over the elements, echoing humanity’s perennial quest to illuminate the darkness, both literally and metaphorically. These displays were not merely entertainment; they were powerful expressions of cultural and technological prowess.