To Have and to Hold

The third volume in The Walters Art Museum Collection FocusSeries is a jewel-box of a book that explores the world of miniaturemasterpieces, luxury objects worn and used in Europe and Americas betweenaround 1700 and 1900. Despite their small size, they are enduring testaments tothe largest of human preoccupations: love, death, and pleasure.Highlights include a snuffbox decorated with portraits ofLouis XV’s grandchildren; a watch studded with pearls and diamonds made forNapoleon Bonaparte’s mother that allowed her totell the time by touch alone; a mourning ring containing the hair of two youngsisters buried thousands of miles apart; two exquisite Fabergé eggs made asroyal Easter gifts: the GatchinaPalace Egg and RoseTrellis Egg; and a tiny charm depicting a single eye gifted by asecret lover.Often books on these kinds of objects look at one categoryof thing—mourning jewellery, portrait or eye miniatures—this book takes abroader approach and is written for a general audience. It will appealspecifically to those with an interest in social history, biography, andantiques.