With more and more goods being mass produced in the 19th century, there was a growing need for a more comprehensive education about material in art, craft and industry.
Material samples, sample cases and the collection of models of business academies, of schools and museums of applied arts are the tangible expression of this new form of material education, which helped facilitate the exchange between the industry and experts, craftsmen and
-women and consumers. Moreover, sample collections provide indispensable support in the design work of artists, craftsmen and -women, architects and designers and still play an important role today when presenting drafts to clients. At the latest since the world exhibitions, manufacturers meet the demand for portable samples of their materials, offering professionally designed collections in fancy packaging.
This tiled stove glaze sample book is on display in the current special exhibition “Object Lessons. The Story of Material Education in 8 Chapters”.
