Fine and rare Georgian era Silhouette ring signed with John Miers signature.  Depicting, we believe, a very young girl child in right facing profile with delicate features, short fine hair, shaded bows and ruffles at her shoulders and visible delicate eye lash.

John Miers (1756-1821) was, and remains to this day, one of the most prolific and renowned profilist artists of his time producing ‘profiles’ or ‘shades’ on ivory, plaster or paper.  

Portrait miniatures reached peak popularity in part due to the appreciation and fascination with antiquity and visual arts influenced by the Neoclassical movement through the 18th century.  Many artists began specialising in this natural way of capturing a moment.  While not always cheap, portrait miniatures were very accessible and a great way to celebrate or commemorate a loved one as was the desire when creating for mourning jewellery.

We believe this Silhouette is painted on Ivory, finely executed, and mounted in 9ct rose gold in a large Navette shaped frame, domed glass pane, with typical bifurcated shoulders and a double band shank.

Measuring a substantial 2.6cm x 1.4cm giving excellent finger coverage and clear visibility of the portrait, this stunning, early and highly sought after portrait ring is a must for the serious collector.

STONES
None

ERA
Georgian 1714-1830

MEASUREMENTS
2.6cm x 1.4cm
Rise - 4.9mm

WEIGHT
3.54 Grams

MARKS
None
Tested via XRF as 9ct gold

SIZE
P 1/2 or 18.1mm diameter US 8
Could be resized with care

CONDITION
Very good antique condition.  No thinning to double shank. Shoulders show no reattachments. Glass has no chips to outside, one tiny ‘mark’ to inside to outer edge near bezel which cannot be felt, therefore inside glass.  

Under scrutiny at the bottom Navette tip there is also a mark which under loupe could be adhesive or similar(?) also under the glass, only noting for accuracy, very hard to see with naked eye.  Silhouette is crisp as is signature.  Minor marks to gold Navette frame and verso, insignificant. 

HISTORY OF SILHOUETTES : JOHN MIERS

Despite its origin dating to the 77-79 AD, the term Silhouette was not applied to the art of portrait-making until the 19th century.  Prior to this, terms such as ‘profiles’ or ‘shades’ were created by using one of three methods; painted on ivory, plaster, paper or in reverse on glass, ‘cut and paste’, where figures were free-hand cut out of dark paper and pasted onto a light background or ‘hollow-cut’, where images were traced and cut from light coloured paper (paper did not become available until 1820, this paper had been darkened with lamp-black or charcoal) laid upon a dark background.  

Portrait miniatures reached peak popularity in part due to the appreciation and fascination with antiquity and visual arts influenced by the Neoclassical movement through the 18th century.  Many artists began specialising in this natural way of capturing a moment.  While not always cheap, portrait miniatures were very accessible and a great way to celebrate or commemorate a loved one as was the desire when creating for mourning jewellery.  Copies could also be made and it was quite typical for the artist to retain multiples incase the subject requested or wished to change aspects of the original.

One such famous profilist or painter of silhouettes went by the name of John Miers (1756-1821), whose work was and remains to the day of the highest quality and execution, with many noting he was one of the most prolific painters of his time.

Miers produced his miniatures on ivory or plaster and would often feature delicate shading to the hair and or clothes of the ‘sitter’ (subject) as they were known.  Miers was particularly skilled in painting unrelieved black on plaster, which he was renowned for as compared to other artists who used touches of gold and colored pigment to delineate clothing details. Interesting to note is the left to right profile style adopted by Miers ( and later his protege John Field).  
 
Miers trained many artists in his technique throughout his career, none so famous as John Field, who came to work for him in London in 1800 and stayed on as “principal profile artist” until Miers’ death, and was responsible for most of the profiles enhanced with bronzing.

After John Miers’ death, Field entered into a partnership with Miers’ son William. He started his own enterprise in about 1830. Field worked in other mediums and exhibited landscapes at the Royal Academy. His silhouettes are remarkable for their fine detail and delicate use of bronzing.   In 1831 he was appointed profilist to Queen Adelaide.
 
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