NEWS
By Emma Blane |
04 Dec 2025
The Limner Company's Christmas Gift List
Miniatures have become a fashionable inspiration amongst contemporary artists in numerous media, and we’ve included many pieces belonging to this trend, alongside a selection of miniatures which are currently available on our website. As a theme, many of these could be gifted not only as works of art in their own right, but as items that could be worn, just as many miniatures would have originally been intended to be.
Figure 1- Rachel Larkins, Memento Mori Earrings, 2025, brass, resin, hand painted inserts, freshwater pearls, oxidised silver hooks, sold out, other pieces available via the Scottish Gallery’s website.
Rachel Larkins (b.1974) works from a studio near the New Forest and creates beautiful pieces of jewellery inspired by miniatures, memorial jewellery, and folklore. Some of her pieces, including some beautiful rings and earrings, are available through the Scottish Gallery website, where she is exhibiting until 23 December 2025. These earrings (sold out) reminded us of a pair of William and Mary memorial miniatures recently sold by the Limner Company…
Figure 2- ENGLISH SCHOOL, Memorial portrait miniatures of Queen Mary II (1662-1694) and King William III (1650-1702), circa 1702, watercolour on vellum. With the Limner Company, (reserved).
These memorial miniatures are a perfect example of how small and intimate these works of art can be. Painted following the death of King William III (1650-1702) and Queen Mary II (1662-1694), these tiny (16mm high) portraits (reserved) are both surmounted by loops which would have allowed them to be worn on a chain or ribbon by those mourning the death of the King and Queen. This has always been a common way to wear miniatures, as demonstrated in figure 3 below. It is tempting to envision the pair mounted as a brilliant pair of statement earrings to be worn today.
Figure 3- An image of a woman wearing a miniature on a ribbon, taken for the 2024 exhibition The Reflected Self, Compton Verney.
Figure 4- Holly Frean, A Pack of Kings and Queens, gouache on paper, sold out, other works available through her website.
William and Mary also feature in a work on paper by Holly Frean, A Pack of Kings and Queens (sold out). Given that early miniatures were painted on vellum, then laid down on playing cards, this artwork felt like the ideal addition to a miniatures themed christmas list. Holly, a london-based artist, has previously offered miniature pet portraits by commission (also currently sold out, for more information visit her website).
Figure 5- CONTINENTAL SCHOOL, c.1610s, Portrait of a Young Boy, oil on copper, heightened with gold. For sale with The Limner Company (£25,000).
If you’re looking for a historical miniature laid on a playing card, this Portrait of a Young Boy in a Lilac Doublet (£25,000) may be what you’re looking for. As shown here, he’s the perfect size to be worn as a pendant. Children were very rarely painted at the beginning of the seventeenth century, making this portrait an extremely precious and unique work. The reverse of the miniatures frame is transparent, revealing a single club on the playing card on which the vellum has been laid.
Figure 6- RICHARD COSWAY(1742-1821), Portrait miniature of a Lady, c.1770
watercolour on ivory. For sale with The Limner Company (£3,250).
If you know someone who prefers pink to purple, this portrait miniature of a lady by Richard Cosway should be on your list. She’s adorned with pink silk bows and delicate lace with pink embroidery, which Cosway has depicted falling down from her hair (£3,250).
This dress-up paper doll of Mrs Jervis, sold by Dennis Severs’ house, complete with a Spitalfields dress for her to wear (£12), could be the perfect stocking filler (featuring stockings) for any young aspiring fashion designers or historical fashion lovers! Dennis Severs bought the house in Spitalfields in 1979, and today, it is open to the public as a record of the Huguenot family who had lived there since 1874. If you know someone who would enjoy visiting the house, which was bought by Dennis Severs in 1979 and turned into a museum dedicated to recording the lives of a Huguenot family who had lived there since 1874, it is also possible to buy guided tours as gifts through the Museum’s website (from £16 per guest).
Figure 8- RICHARD CROSSE (1742-1810), Portrait of a gentleman in military-style dress, c. 1770, watercolour on ivory. For sale with The Limner Company (£2,250).
Turning to men’s fashion, this portrait of an unidentified gentleman by Richard Crosse features beautifully rendered fabrics, and is available on the Limner Company’s website (£2,250). On first glance he appears to be wearing military uniform (for some gifts for those who enjoy this, see below), but is in fact wearing an elaborate decorated jacket and waistcoat underneath which has been designed purely for fashion. He’s housed in a wonderful beaded frame, with a watch top- meaning he could easily be attached to a ribbon or chain and worn, as demonstrated with another miniature below…
Figure 9- An image of a lady wearing a miniature round her wrist, and a gentleman holding a miniature attached to a chain, taken for the 2024 exhibition The Reflected Self, Compton Verney
For those who enjoy military history more than fashion history, these handmade felt decorations of figures including Wellington, sold at the National Army Museum (£16.50), could be another great option for a stocking, or for a tree. Many museums and galleries sell similar felt decoration inspired by historical figures and artists. See the National Portrait Gallery’s website for more options, including the Six Wives of Henry VIII and Ignatius Sancho (from £17).
Figure 11- GEORGE ENGLEHEART (1750-1829), portrait of an officer, c.1790, watercolour on ivory. For sale with The Limner Company (£6,500).
Another option for a military history lover, which can double-up as a wearable piece, is this portrait miniature of an unknown officer by George Engleheart (£6,500). The miniature is set into a bracelet clasp, with a pearl surround, ready to be worn on someone’s wrist. The sitter is unidentified and may also prove a welcome mystery to a military buff- though his uniform appears to be that of a subaltern of a British Line Infantry regiment, his buttons may feature anchors, leading to the suggestion that he may have been a subaltern of the Corps of Marines…
Figure 12- ENGLISH SCHOOL, A portrait miniature ‘lovers eye’ of the hazel eye of Ellen Jane, 1821, watercolour on ivory. With The Limner Company, (reserved).
Rings were also a traditional way to wear miniatures. Most often, portraits set into rings were intended as mourning jewellery, as with this ‘Lovers Eye’ mourning ring, featuring the eye of a young woman named ‘Ellen Jane’ (Reserved). It is possible to identify this as a mourning ring because of the black-and-white enamel surround; the white four-leaf clovers, specifically, would have conveyed the message to ‘think of me’.
Figure 13- Susannah Carson, No. 2988 Lover's Eye Painting on a Flow Blue Crescent Plate, china displayed on blue ironstone plate, £302, available through her website.
Susannah Carson puts a modern twist on the Lover’s eye in her artworks, through which she creates ceramic pieces featuring original eye paintings. Often selling out quickly, her plates and ornaments (such as the blue crescent plate above, £302) would be the perfect addition to a Christmas tablescape. At a lower price point, Susannah's Christmas shop contains eye miniature jigsaws (£25), stockings (£14), and wrapping paper (£11).
Figure 14- FRENCH SCHOOL (18th century), A double-sided hairwork miniature, c. 1780s, Hairwork on ivory (£1,750) and Marbled Case, produced by Parvum Opus (£350). Both for sale with The Limner Company.
If someone you know has their own miniatures and other artworks yet to be displayed, the Limner Company is offering a selection of marbled boxes, created by Parvum Opus. These boxes function as frames for miniatures and are deep enough to house an artwork, which can in turn be hung on a wall or displayed beautifully on any flat surface. Here, one of the boxes (available for £350) is shown with a uniquely well-preserved, double-sided hairwork miniature (available for £1,750). For more examples of how artworks can be displayed in these cases, take a look at this beautiful project featuring contemporary eye miniatures by Irene Owens, collaborating with Art/Artefact.
Figure 15- Elizabeth Goldring, Holbein: Renaissance Master, Paul Mellon Centre, 2025, available at most major booksellers, £40.
Elizabeth Goldring’s new book, Holbein: Renaissance Master (£40), would be a beautiful and important addition to anyone’s library this Christmas. The book is the only scholarly biography on Holbein to have been published in over 100 years and is both wonderfully written and illustrated.
Figure 16- ENGLISH SCHOOL (17th century), portrait miniature of a Gentleman, c.1620, watercolour and bodycolour on vellum. For sale with The Limner Company (£2,500).
This portrait of an unknown gentleman (£2,500) would be the ideal companion to Goldring’s book, with it’s iconic blue background often associated with the work of Holbein and other contemporary masters, such as Nicholas Hilliard. We don’t know who the gentleman is, or who painted him, but it is housed in an exquisite case with a green enamelled edge. Originally, this would have had a lid, so that anyone wearing the miniature around their neck could hide the portrait from prying eyes. Today, it could be worn open, to display it as the jewel it is.
Figure 17- Pollyanna Johnson, ceramic boxes, plates, and roundels, available through her website.
For another Hilliard-adjacent gift, these ceramic works, made by Pollyanna Johnson, are of a series of works taking a cheeky spin on historical portraits. One of these boxes (now sold) features a copy of a portrait by Nicholas Hilliard, though other boxes, plates, and roundels have copies of portraits to suit the taste of any old-master obsessed loved one. (Boxes £550, plates from £600).
Figure 18- Attributed to THOMAS RAWLINS (1620?–1670), A fruit stone (probably a plum or peach stone) carved on both sides with portraits of King Charles I and King Charles II, with royal insignia, coloured and gilded, set into the original gold and rock crystal locket, the gold engraved with fleur de lys pattern. For sale with The Limner Company (POA).
For the collector of more unusual and unique pieces, this fruit stone carved into a portrait of Charles II and his father, Charles I, is currently for sale with the Limner Company (POA). Surrounded by rock crystal, this could also be worn as a pendant on a necklace and was likely fashioned in this way when it was created. The stone is extremely rare and is one of only two to survive with colour and gilt.
Trompe L’oeil-inspired wrapping paper? Say no more! This pin-board wrapping paper (£3.50 per sheet) is also available at Dennis Severs’ house, and is taken from the pinboard in the dining room there. The perfect way to wrap all of this up… excuse the pun!
