In the Treasury you can see more than a thousand very small objects of major significance. Here, a large part of the world's largest collection of portrait miniatures is displayed together with jewelry from now and then, boxes and pocket watches. Experience them up close.
Nationalmuseum has the world's largest collection of miniature paintings. It consists of 5 700 miniatures, mainly portraits, which were made by Swedish and other European artists from the 16th century until the middle of the last century. The remarkable thing about this collection is not only the quantity, but just as much the breadth and depth. No other collection is as representative of European miniature painting.
A portrait miniature could serve as an exclusive calling card or a lover’s gift – and was often carried close to the recipient’s heart. Now more than 600 of them are on display, everything from Nicholas Hilliard’s depiction of Queen Elizabeth I to Siri Derkert’s 20th century portrait of her son Carlo.
In the Treasury the miniature paintings are shown in context, together with other accessories such as jewelry, boxes and pocket watches.
The museum has been collecting contemporary jewelry over a lengthy period, but never previously actively acquired older objects. Consequently, in recent years significant complementary aquisitions have been made. You can now make a close-up study of substantial parts of this collection. Jewelry is traditionally associated with women, but the exhibition also has a selection of accessories for men, ranging from canes to medals.
The treasury is housed in old office rooms that were transformed into exhibition spaces during the renovation in the mid 2010s
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