One of the world’s leading miniature collectors, Kaye Savage Browning, author of two previous books chronicling her collecting experiences, Collectively Speaking: My Passionate Pursuit of Miniatures, Volumes 1 and 2, has released her latest book this month: Masters in Miniature. The 288-page hardcover coffee table photography book serves as a tour of one of the most extensive collections of miniatures in the world. It encompasses the industry’s highest quality homes, decorative arts, furnishings, clothing, functional items, and character dolls, each selected for its beauty, craftsmanship, and historical significance.
One of America’s leading miniaturists, William R. Robertson, who designed her museum galleries in Maysville, Kentucky, wrote the forward of the book, and notes that that Kate loves “just keeping people’s eyes happy.” The book is dedicated to miniaturist artisans who create the works within its pages and beyond.
Many wonders on a one-inch scale are found in the book’s gorgeous 288 pages. Something here will enchant you. Perhaps it’ll be the replica anvil or sterling silver in the shop of Paul Revere, exquisite detail of the Amber room in the Catherine Palace, once considered the eighth wonder of the world, or the intricate recreations of founding fathers’ offices.
Kaye Savage Browning was inspired to begin collecting miniatures by reading Tasha Tudors A is for Annabelle to her young daughters, stating “a small bed and quilt identical to one in her childhood jumped off pages and into her heart’s mind,” and setting off what became a lifelong appreciation of tiny objects. She now owns a 5500 square foot gallery in the Kentucky Gateway Museum that contains rare and one-of-a-kind pieces, tiny reproductions of objects found in international museums and more than 120 furnished miniature houses, room boxes and vignettes.
During the pandemic, miniatures surged from a quiet hobby into a cultural phenomenon, with artisans gaining wide followings on social media, collectors driving a new market, and retailers embracing miniature art. There are miniatures available at retail craft shops, surprise “balls” people buy at stores to reveal hidden miniatures, and a miniatures retailer called Rolife at the mall where people can create tiny worlds of their own for fun. As a miniaturist, I think there’s something irresistible about creating something we can control.
The book’s illustrations use scaled items—a dollar bill with George Washington’s image in his replica office, or full-size grapes beside a table setting featuring miniature grapes, to demonstrate size for those who may not be readily familiar with how 1:12 scale works (1:12 means one inch for every foot in “normal” size). There’s a lot to learn in the book: about the works of iconic miniaturist artisans like Pam Throop, Pat and Noel Thomas, and Kevin Mulvany and Susie Rogers, who designed Spencer House, the elaborate miniature home of Princess Diana that appears in Kaye’s museum. The intricately detailed art book photos include handpainted Queen Mary China, beautiful parquet floor detailing, genuine gemstones in the miniature jewelry shop and so much more.
Snapping plastic parts together and 3D printing are modern forms of miniature-making, and anything that brings joy isn’t to be diminished, but this book is an opportunity to take a closer look at the works of some of the most talented artists in the field, honoring and appreciating their work and craftsmanship, versus what modern “instant gratification” miniatures seek to replicate.