A centuries-old tradition, reimagined for the twenty-first century
Context
Eye Drops reintroduces the tradition of miniature imagery in jewellery — but now through contemporary art photography.
With the invention of the daguerreotype, miniature art in jewellery declined. In the 20th century, artists such as Yves Tanguy briefly returned to it. Photography itself never brought to jewellery the artistic diversity that existed in the era of painted miniatures. Its presence was reduced mainly to low-art lockets with a portrait inside.
One particular genre was the eye miniature — tiny jewelled portraits of a single eye. It is believed that the tradition began when the Prince of Wales, later King George IV, “set his eye” on Maria Fitzherbert at the opera in 1784. Twice divorced and a Catholic, she was certain that marriage between them was impossible. Yet her inaccessibility only strengthened the Prince’s desire. As a sign of his affection, he sent her a jewelled miniature portrait of his own eye. She replied in kind — sending him a miniature portrait of her eye. A month later, they were married. These “lover’s eyes” became symbols of intimacy, longing, and remembrance.
Together with the jewellery collection, art objects from the Eye Drops series will be shown for the first time — Mironov’s photographs set within vintage lenses. Most are railway lenses, a meaningful reference to the artist’s biography: born in Tver, Mironov dedicated several projects to the local narrow-gauge railway, now abandoned. In Eye Drops, his delicate, Japanese-like photographs of birds and plants are reframed within these heavy optical artefacts, offering a new depth of vision.
The design is by Anna Minakova and her creative studio Alice in Wonderlab. Each ring is unique: beneath the cabochon lies a miniature photograph by Mironov, with the stone functioning as a lens. The technical challenge was the scale — the diameter of the visible image does not exceed 1 cm.
Alongside the silver editions — a limited series of five rings for each photograph — a unique gold ring will be created: it will feature Mironov’s selected work Mosquito-Angel, embedded beneath a specially cut portrait diamond. This ring will be made to the collector’s size.
Before photography, miniature painting was a highly prized art form in jewellery. Gouache, watercolour, and later enamel were used to create portraits, landscapes, and views. Miniature copies of famous paintings, landmarks, and landscapes were also produced, but none of these genres ever reached the same level of popularity as the portrait miniature.
This tradition peaked in the 16th–18th centuries, adorning watches, brooches, rings, snuffboxes, and jewellery boxes. Materials ranged from watercolour on parchment to oil on copper, later to enamel, and by the 18th century, to watercolour on ivory.
11.09.2025
Cosmoscow 2025
Collaboration
Project:
Eye Drops
Glaz Gallery x
World Premiere
The first jewellery in history
to feature contemporary art photography
Between
artifact and adornment lies
a new language of beauty
Art Objects
Alice in Wonderlab presents a new art collaboration with contemporary photographer Zhenya Mironov. The result is the collection of cocktail rings Eye Drops. These unisex rings are crafted in silver with a satin finish — available in gilding, black rhodium plating, or natural colour — and set with large cabochons of natural stones, specially cut for the project: amethyst, rose quartz, smoky quartz, rock crystal, blue topaz, and prasiolite.
nderlab
Alice in W
02
Founded in Moscow in 2010, Epic Jewellery opened in Hong Kong in 2014 and later in Bangkok. Its motto — Don’t wear jewellery. Wear art — reflects the philosophy of creating jewels as art in collaboration with contemporary artists. Epic has worked with Protey Temen, Varya Alay, Irina Petrakova, Ilya Fedotov-Fedorov, Olga Tobreluts, and Jean-Christophe Quay, among others.
Past lives
in miniature, future lives in you
in miniature, future lives in you
05
03
04
Cosmoscow International Contemporary Art Fair is one of the most significant art events in Russia, uniting galleries, artists, experts, collectors, and the public. Since 2014 it has been held annually. In 2024 the fair hosted 91 galleries and over 50,000 visitors at the Timiryazev Centre in Moscow. In 2025, Cosmoscow will again take place at the same venue (12–14 September), with a VIP preview on 11 September.
Its first projects include Eye Drops (Epic × Zhenya Mironov), premiering at the major art fair Cosmoscow in Moscow and Mycelium (Epic × Wisharawish), premiering at Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo alongside Wisharawish’s SS2026 show.
About Alice in WonderLab
About Epic Jewellery
At its core is Alice, a symbolic image of the modern woman.
Alice in WonderLab is the new project by journalist, gemologist, jewelry expert, and Epic Jewellery’s Creative Director Anna Minakova. This sophisticated jewelry art laboratory develops both permanent collections and bespoke creations, as well as collaborative projects.
About Glaz Gallery
To wear is
to witness — jewellery
as living exhibition
to witness — jewellery
as living exhibition
Founded in 2003, Glaz Gallery is one of the oldest Moscow galleries working exclusively with photography.
Over two decades, it has staged more than 100 solo and group exhibitions, and represents important historical archives — including Alexander Rodchenko, Dmitry Baltermants, Viktor Akhlomov, and Alexander Slyusarev. Among its contemporary artists are Alex Webb, Harry Gruyaert, Sarah Moon, Vadim Gushchin, Zhenya Mironov, and Ivan Mikhaylov. The gallery has presented Russian photography at fairs in France, Austria, and the United States.
About Zhenya Mironov
Born in 1988 in Tver. Graduated from the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts, Department of Photography. Since 2008 he has held over 25 solo exhibitions, participated in major photography festivals, and was nominated for the Kandinsky Prize, Konchalovsky Prize, and others. His works are in the collections of major institutions — MAMM, the Russian Museum, MOMMA, Erarta Museum — and significant international private collections.
About Cosmoscow
Chapter:
In a world of
endless
reproductions,
this is resistance:
no copies,
only originals
endless
reproductions,
this is resistance:
no copies,
only originals