By 1580, the Arte Degli Automi had become the dominant economic guild and society enjoyed the fruits of the Golden Age of Automata.

With the expansion of contributions across the Peninsula, many regional variations of the core automata came into existence and could be observed in all aspects of human life.

 

Shown here is a Venetian variation of the common Ranameccanica.

With a buoyant build and specialized fin attachments, this variation excelled at traversing the canals and was a mainstay of Venetian life, while its expandable throat's carrying capacity of 100 lbs made it a favorite for intracity couriering.

 

The friendly appearance of the Ranameccanica mirrored the idealistic beliefs which have become synonymous with the time period, while the utility provided by their fully actuated hands and reasoning capabilities are credited for broad public acceptance of the automata in daily life.

 

Excerpt from chapter 5 of Gibbon's History of Automata: Volume 3, Daily Life in The Golden Age by Bartholomew Gibbon.

 

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This entry was super fun! I worked in collaboration with the great phenomenician to build out the style, the lore, and the palette, which can be found here: Venetian 24