Optical toy - 2025 - Italy - UnMoro - Peep box #1
07
days
06
hours
22
minutes
26
seconds
Current bid
€ 2
Reserve price not met
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Selected by Eleonore Floret
Has six years of experience as a co-director at an auction house and as a design expert.
Estimate € 900 - € 1,100
 | €2 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €1 |
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UnMoro Peep box #1, Luci e Ombre (2025), an optical box in mandorlo wood with brass hardware and radica di frassino panels, 35 × 26 × 22 cm, made in Italy, in excellent condition and tested and working.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Peep box #1: Luci e Ombre (2025)
The Concept
The work draws inspiration from the 'New Worlds' of eighteenth-century Venetian culture, the famous peep boxes described in Carlo Goldoni's comedies. While in the 18th century these machines offered visions to astonish spectators in the absence of today’s endless distractions, this version invites a leap into the past through an immersive, solitary, and silent exploration. The image inside is not immediately accessible: it resides in darkness, waiting for the viewer to bring it light by deciding what to reveal to their gaze.
Construction Details
• Pannellature: White Ash Burl, chosen for its organic textures that resemble maps or clouds. The outermost part that contains the lens is made of magnolia. The shutters are magnetized and can be commanded with the knob with visible stripes shown in the figure.
• Structure: Almond wood, to ensure solidity and tactile warmth, with brass pins, hooks, and screws;
• Form: Optical box with restricted view, peep box;
• Installation: wall-mounted or on a flat surface.
The Interactive Experience
The work denies immediate and superficial viewing. To interact with it, the observer must perform a revelation rite:
1. The Approach: The spectator approaches the eyepiece, initially finding darkness;
2. The Opening: By operating the side shutters integrated into the wooden body, the entry of natural light into the body is modulated;
3. The Vision: Only through manual control of the light does the internal image reveal itself, allowing one to admire its details, shadows, and depths;
4. The Image Change: remove the rear panel and apply the new subject. Finally, reposition the panel with a magnetic attachment.
A Tip for the Internal Image
Given the theme of the 'New World', the image inside could be something three-dimensional with many depth levels, so that light coming from the shutters can create long, dynamic shadows depending on how far they are opened.
Dimensions: 35x26x22 cm (H x W x D)
Conditions: new
Designed and created by UnMoro
Peep box #1: Luci e Ombre (2025)
The Concept
The work draws inspiration from the 'New Worlds' of eighteenth-century Venetian culture, the famous peep boxes described in Carlo Goldoni's comedies. While in the 18th century these machines offered visions to astonish spectators in the absence of today’s endless distractions, this version invites a leap into the past through an immersive, solitary, and silent exploration. The image inside is not immediately accessible: it resides in darkness, waiting for the viewer to bring it light by deciding what to reveal to their gaze.
Construction Details
• Pannellature: White Ash Burl, chosen for its organic textures that resemble maps or clouds. The outermost part that contains the lens is made of magnolia. The shutters are magnetized and can be commanded with the knob with visible stripes shown in the figure.
• Structure: Almond wood, to ensure solidity and tactile warmth, with brass pins, hooks, and screws;
• Form: Optical box with restricted view, peep box;
• Installation: wall-mounted or on a flat surface.
The Interactive Experience
The work denies immediate and superficial viewing. To interact with it, the observer must perform a revelation rite:
1. The Approach: The spectator approaches the eyepiece, initially finding darkness;
2. The Opening: By operating the side shutters integrated into the wooden body, the entry of natural light into the body is modulated;
3. The Vision: Only through manual control of the light does the internal image reveal itself, allowing one to admire its details, shadows, and depths;
4. The Image Change: remove the rear panel and apply the new subject. Finally, reposition the panel with a magnetic attachment.
A Tip for the Internal Image
Given the theme of the 'New World', the image inside could be something three-dimensional with many depth levels, so that light coming from the shutters can create long, dynamic shadows depending on how far they are opened.
Dimensions: 35x26x22 cm (H x W x D)
Conditions: new
Designed and created by UnMoro
Details
Era
After 2000
Wood type
Almond tree, Laburnum, Ash, Burrwood
Specific region of origin
Emilia Romagna
Number of objects
1
Manufacturer/brand
UnMoro
Material
Brass, Wood
Country of origin
Italy
Physical condition
Near mint
Functional condition
Tested and working
Height
35 cm
Width
26 cm
Depth
22 cm
Estimated period
2025
Title additional information
Peep box #1
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