Sjees c. 1704 - 1734

This is ‘Sjees’, a miniature sculpture crafted in silver by Abraham van der Hoeff, sometime between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The sculpture presents a horse-drawn carriage with two figures inside. The entire composition, from the horse to the figures, is rendered in meticulous detail. Note how the reflective surface of the silver plays with light to enhance the textures and forms, giving the artwork a dynamic presence. The sculpture employs a semiotic system of signs. The horse and carriage, symbols of status and wealth, are miniaturized to create a sense of playful artifice. This reduction in scale challenges the fixed meanings typically associated with such symbols, prompting a re-evaluation of their cultural significance. Van der Hoeff engages with new ways of thinking about representation. This use of scale functions not just aesthetically, but also as a part of a larger cultural and philosophical discourse on value and representation.