Good housekeeping

The large Nuremberg doll houses of the 17th century to which the volume is devoted represent both a singular ensemble within the collections of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum and the keystone of its toy collection. Thanks to the scope, detail and diversity of their inventory, these miniature houses offer invaluable insights into the cultural history of the 17th century. By focusing on characteristic furnishings and drawing comparisons to both the Nuremberg burgher house and surviving material culture, the author seeks to demonstrate and interpret the relationship of the doll houses and their contents to contemporary domestic reality. Of pivotal significance is the Stromer Doll House of 1639 whose inventory of more than 1.000 mostly original furnishings provides a superb impression of a complete burgher household of the period.