Tiny Antique Rooms

Last week at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, one of the most fascinating exhibits was a collection of miniature rooms and other items.

This collection belonged to the local philanthropist Sarah Mellon Scaife and several of the rooms were commissioned by her as authentic replicas of antique furnished rooms in her Pittsburgh home.

The room sets were tiny - each one no bigger than 24 inches wide, 12 inches high. The porcelain turkeys in the image above were the largest pieces of porcelain on display and were less than 2 inches high.

Each little room was lit with very low indoor light and with a glass screen in front, it was difficult not to get a reflection in the picture.

The tiny porcelain figures in the pictures below are just half to three quarters of an inch tall!

The miniature furniture, porcelain and silverware dates from the 18th to the early 20th century.