Speaking of what a miniature is, you need to look into the distant past.
Screensavers and title pages from ancient manuscript books
According to dictionaries and encyclopedias, a long time ago, when there was still no printing, and the gospel and the lives of the saints were handwritten, these manuscript books were decorated with illustrations, headpieces and capital letters made in bright colors. Covers, bookends and cover pages of books were also decorated.
From the Latin root minium, which was translated as “cinnabar, minium” - red paint - the word miniature came to mean bright small-scale pictures. The first miniatures that today are historical monuments reached contemporaries.
An example of the answer to the question of what a miniature is in ancient times is the screen saver from the Ostromir Gospel of 1057 - this is one of the most ancient books that have survived.
Fedoskino-style miniature
Gradually, the meaning of the word was transferred to the size of the subject. Today, when asked about what a miniature is, everyone will answer that it is something very small, but beautiful. And this happened due to the fact that in the 18th century a variety of objects of art began to appear, having extremely small sizes, but made with great care, subtlety and grace.
For example, in the village of Fedoskino, the merchant Korobov organized a visor production in 1795. A few years later, under the impression of visiting Johann Stobwasser’s factory in Braunschweig, Korobov reorganized his production. Now small papier-mâché items are being produced here - snuff-boxes, thimbles, caskets, beads, which are decorated with prints, paintings and varnishes.
During these years, the question “what is a miniature” answered: “Small, gracefully painted paintings”. Fedoskino painting was very much appreciated in past centuries. It depicted scenes from rural life: harnessed horses, tea parties, folk festivals and festivities, romantic dates. A group of talented artists and now follow the traditions of the style of Fedoskino painting, and a miniature continues to be created, delighting and delighting connoisseurs of fine art.
Sculptures in tiny bottles
So, the meaning of the word miniature today is a work of any kind of art, distinguished by grace, thoroughness of execution and extremely small size.
Interesting in this regard are the works of the Japanese artist-sculptor Akinobu Izum, who surprises the world with his unsurpassed talented miniature sculptures in tiny bottles.
In a transparent cone, 22 mm high and 12 mm wide, Akinobu manages to realize the whole world! A tiny bike and a tyrannosaurus skeleton, tiny figures of lovers and a Viking ship, a bench that is smaller than a match head, placed in surprisingly small transparent containers, can not leave indifferent any spectator.
Thumbnails
Tiny books that are made by real craftsmen are even more striking. You can read something in them only when using a very strong magnifier. Some books fit in a nutshell, others are stored in caskets for rings.
Actually, what is there to be surprised when everyone from early childhood is familiar with the tale of the Lefty, who savvy a flea! Yes, the Russian masters are the jack of all trades!
Literary Thumbnails
Gradually, the word “miniature” penetrated other areas of art, for example, music and literature. By the same criteria - small form, grace and thoroughness of performance - many works became known as miniatures.
Short stories, concise in volume, but extremely capacious in content, are called literary miniatures. Often in miniatures there is practically no action, but there is only a sketch, a picture. But, using the capacity of images, comparisons, epithets, the author creates a whole human fate in a few sentences.
“She sat alone on a bench, and cold streams of rain flowed down her cheeks. There, in the house, music sounded, young people full of energy and health had fun. One of them was her son ...
People in the house sang and danced, drank wine and ate hot fragrant chicken. And she sat alone on a bench - she had no place in their circle. Cold streams of rain flowed down her cheeks, and an evil wind drove a lone dry leaf along the road ... Just as lonely and no one needed now ... "
Miniature tales
Tales of small volume occupy a special place in the literature; they are also called miniatures. Usually these are fairy tales for the smallest, because it is still difficult for them to listen and understand a large work. These include classic folk tales, such as “Ryaba Kurochka”, “Turnip”, “Kolobok”, “Terem-Teremok”, “Snegurochka”, “Wintering of Animals”, “Mashenka and the Bear”, “Three Bears” and others. They constitute the golden fund of literature for young children. Books for babies are often in a small format, confirming their belonging to miniatures - sort of tiny little baby books, as they are often called.