London – Imagine holding the world in your hands – or even the moon. In the Palm of your Hand: Small is Beautiful is a new sale which aims to showcase all things miniature – and which fit neatly in the palm of your hand. The curated, cross-disciplinary auction is guided by size, and celebrates the technical achievements of intricately designed pocket-sized items from a broad range of departments: from miniature art, Japanese netsuke, silver, books, micro mosaics and sculpture, to pocket watches, globes, and everything in between. The sale will take place on Wednesday 23 February at Bonhams Knightsbridge.

The sale is led by a 22-carat gold and diamond moon sculpture, created to commemorate the first moon landing by Apollo 11 in 1969. The sculpture was created by the distinguished goldsmith Louis Osman (1914–1996), who was commissioned by the English art patron Simon Horn. Osman created the sculptures with Malcolm Appleby through the electro-forming process, a new method he had just used to produce the crown for the Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales. The first four of the moon sculptures were sent to the United States and presented to the mother of John F. Kennedy, alongside the three Apollo 11 astronauts – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. It was intended that a further 100 were to be made, but complications arose with the electro-forming process and only a small number were ever created. Estimate: £12,000-18,000.

Exemplifying the extraordinary breadth of the sale, a microscopic sculpture by the contemporary British artist David A. Lindon is offered alongside a 2½ inch pocket globe by John Newton (1759-1844), circa 1790. Lindon is known for creating 'micro art' – sculptures so minute that they fit within the eye of a needle and must be viewed by microscope. The pieces are so minutely intricate that Lindon often works by the stillness of night, having to regulate his breathing and keep his heart rate as low as possible to steady his hands. This sculpture romantically depicts a woman in red approaching a distant silhouette of the Eiffel Tower. Estimate: £9,000-12,000. Newton founded the family firm in the 1780s, the workshop primarily making pocket and table globes, before expanding to include mechanical planetaria. Newton globes were advertised in ten available sizes, ranging from just 1 inch up to 25 inches in diameter, making this example one of the smallest sizes produced. Estimate: £8,000-12,000.

Poppy Harvey-Jones, Head of Sale, commented: "It's so exciting to be able to offer such a broad range of pieces, all unified by their pleasing hand-held size. It's evident from the fantastic quality of lots on offer that their smaller size makes no compromise on detail – and even makes their intricacy that much more impressive. Being able to hold an object in your palm, to really possess and appreciate it, is a unique attraction of this new sale, and we anticipate a lot of interest by collectors who appreciate the pleasure of handling such beautifully delicate creations."

Other highlights of the sale include:

• A fine and extensive collection of miniature books mostly published by David Bryce & Son of Glasgow – who in 1876 had produced the smallest dictionary in the world, contained within a locket accompanied by a magnifying glass. Some of these books are housed within specially made furniture, including glass-fronted bookcases, and contain works from Shakespeare to the Quran. Estimate: £6,000-9,000.

• A rare and important London enamel calendar plaque by Anthony Tregent, dated 1759. The lot is unusual for the fact that the entire calendar is printed on one large plaque, rather than printed in sections and mounted into a snuff box. It was perhaps commissioned by a wealthy client who wished to display it at a desk or in a carriage. Estimate: £5,000-7,000.

1 February 2021