Balance standard with a counterweight c. 1560 - 1570

This gilded balance standard, topped with a lifelike lizard, was made by Wenzel Jamnitzer, a master goldsmith active in 16th-century Nuremberg. The balance is made from precious metals, worked through techniques such as casting, chasing, and engraving. Gold, with its inherent qualities of luster and malleability, allows for intricate detail, evident in the lizard's scales and the delicate arabesques adorning the base. The choice of material reflects the wealth and status of the patron who would have commissioned it, and also speaks to the highly skilled labor required to produce such an exquisite object. This piece testifies to a moment when the natural world was being newly explored. The artist’s skilled manipulation of material transformed base matter into emblems of wealth, knowledge, and power. It invites us to consider the social dynamics embedded within its creation. The balance reminds us that even the most seemingly straightforward objects are testaments to the hands that shaped them, and the world that valued them.