Miniature appreciation – what’s so great about little models?

Abstract

Dolls’ houses, miniature theme parks, model dioramas, etc. fascinate many people. Despite the popularity of miniatures, little scholarly attention has been paid to the reasons behind the fascination. In this article, I review and compare previously unconnected theories from various disciplines – including anthropology, art theory, literary studies, and others – and discuss different theses as to why people feel drawn to miniatures. I commence with a summary of rather affective aspects that have been proposed to explain miniatures' appeal and follow this with a discussion of values engulfed in miniatures and an account of more cognitive aspects. As the discussion progresses, ten theses are developed in response to the question of what makes miniatures so appealing. These include: scaling effects, admiration of craft, the illusion of control, empathy and indulging in ideal worlds, notions of tension related to miniatures’ elusiveness, learning from the model, and offering criticism. The conclusion draws these insights together and argues that the concepts of easy-access art, enchantment, craft appreciation, idealization, and multifarious vantage points are useful to help explain why people are fascinated by miniature models.

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