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John Miers, Silhouette Ring Lady, Circa 1790
Sold by Wigs on the Green
sold SA1082476
Sorry, but this item has been sold.
Wigs on the Green

Wigs on the Green

Sellingantiques Verified Since May 2020
Browse dealers 83 items
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    Small portraiture of character & historical interest
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Id #SA1082476
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John Miers, Silhouette Ring Lady, Circa 1790

18th century
Sold 18 February 2025 · Wigs on the Green
This “John Miers, Silhouette Ring Lady, Circa 1790” found a buyer.

It was listed by Wigs on the Green. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.

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18th Century RingAntique Portrait RingAntique Profile Ring Ask the dealer for something similar
Description

It was early on in John Miers’s career that he began to advertise his ability to reduce profiles to a small size ‘upon ivory for Rings, Breast Pins, Bracelets &c., also for Watch Papers … the likeness perfectly preserved’. Of the surviving jewellery pieces from his studio, silhouette rings are the most difficult to come by, either because there were fewer commissioned or because, by their nature, they were more easily damaged or lost.

This fine silhouette ring comes from a private collection of long-standing. It depicts an elegant lady wearing a dress with a frilled neckline and a tall hard-crowned hat generously trimmed with ribbons and bows, her hair arranged in a chignon. The silhouette is signed Miers under the bust-line and is set in a gold ring.

Ring size: N / 6¾

Some light scratches to the glass and a teeny ding to the underside but otherwise very fine.

Provenance: Acquired for the Christie Collection on 11 August 1915 from Butcher Row, Coventry

Ivory Registration: NMPAP2D4

Date of Manufacture

Wigs on the Green has dated this Georgian Silhouette Ring to the 18th Century.

Physical Dimensions
Height
2.7cm (1.06")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1082476
Dealers Internal Reference
C505
Dealers Notes

All prices include UK postage. International shipping will be at cost.

Description
It was early on in John Miers’s career that he began to advertise his ability to reduce profiles to a small size ‘upon ivory for Rings, Breast Pins, Bracelets &c., also for Watch Papers … the likeness perfectly preserved’. Of the surviving jewellery pieces from his studio, silhouette rings are the most difficult to come by, either because there were fewer commissioned or because, by their nature, they were more easily damaged or lost.

This fine silhouette ring comes from a private collection of long-standing.

“
It depicts an elegant lady wearing a dress with a frilled neckline and a tall hard-crowned hat generously trimmed with ribbons and bows, her hair arranged in a chignon.
Wigs on the Green

The silhouette is signed Miers under the bust-line and is set in a gold ring.

fig 1. An oval-faced gold antique ring enclosing a black painted profile silhouette of a woman against a white background.
fig 1. John Miers, Silhouette Ring Lady, Circa 1790

Ring size: N / 6¾

Some light scratches to the glass and a teeny ding to the underside but otherwise very fine.

Provenance: Acquired for the Christie Collection on 11 August 1915 from Butcher Row, Coventry

Ivory Registration: NMPAP2D4

Date of Manufacture

Wigs on the Green has dated this Georgian Silhouette Ring to the 18th Century.

Height
2.7cm (1.06")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1082476
Dealers Internal Ref
C505
Wigs on the Green
Wigs on the Green
Sellingantiques verified Since May 2020

Small portraiture of character & historical interest

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Wigs on the Green Profile Page

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An oval-faced gold antique ring enclosing a black painted profile silhouette of a woman against a white background. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO
1 / 6
Archive I An oval-faced gold antique ring enclosing a black painted profile silhouette of a woman against a white background. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO

John Miers, Silhouette Ring Lady, Circa 1790

Archive II An oval-faced gold antique ring enclosing a black painted profile silhouette of a woman against a white background. View II
Archive III An oval-faced gold antique ring enclosing a black painted profile silhouette of a woman against a white background. View III
Archive IV An oval-faced gold antique ring enclosing a black painted profile silhouette of a woman against a white background. View IV
Archive V An oval-faced gold antique ring enclosing a black painted profile silhouette of a woman against a white background. View V
Archive VI An oval-faced gold antique ring enclosing a black painted profile silhouette of a woman against a white background. View VI
Enlarged Archival View
Wigs on the Green

Wigs on the Green
Telephone 07962 257915
Location
York
Yorkshire
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/wigsonthegreen
Verified Since May 2020
Items For Sale 83
Items Sold 319
Wigs on the Green
Wigs on the Green
Verified Since May 2020
View Dealer Info
Location: York, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/wigsonthegreen
Verified
May 2020
For Sale
83
Sold
319
An oval-faced gold antique ring enclosing a black painted profile silhouette of a woman against a white background.
John Miers, Silhouette Ring Lady, circa 1790
Ref: SA1082476
An oval-faced gold antique ring enclosing a black painted profile silhouette of a woman against a white background.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Detail View 5
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectRings
  • Period18th century
  • StyleGeorgian
  • MaterialGold, Glass, Plaster, Pigment
  • ColourWarm Gold
  • MotifsProfile portrait, Oval bezel setting, Hand-painted silhouette
  • SizeH 2.7 cm (1 in)

FAQs

A Georgian silhouette ring is an item of finger jewellery from the Georgian era featuring a profile portrait, often painted on plaster, ivory, or paper, encased in precious metal. These pieces were frequently created as tokens of remembrance, sentiment, or personal identity before the widespread use of photography.

These rings typically utilized low-carat gold, pinchbeck, or silver, combined with glass or rock crystal bezels to protect the delicate painted or cut-paper silhouette beneath. The miniatures were often produced by renowned artists using specialized pigments on a plaster or plaster-composition ground.

Authentic pieces exhibit period-correct metal alloys, hand-cut components, and traditional bezel settings rather than modern cast marks. Closer inspection of the silhouette often reveals period artist techniques, fine brushwork, or signature signatures characteristic of eighteenth-century practitioners.

As a collector piece, it is typically displayed within a glass-topped jewellery vitrine, a shadow box, or specialized tabletop display cases, allowing the delicate craftsmanship to be appreciated alongside other period artifacts.

Preservation requires storing the ring in a temperature-controlled, low-humidity environment away from direct sunlight to prevent the fading of pigments and degradation of historical adhesives. Cleaning should be restricted to professional dust removal, avoiding all liquid chemical dips due to the fragile nature of the enclosed paper or plaster.
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