Ashmolean Turner's Palette Charm

This gold and enamel charm is an ideal gift for those who love to paint, admirer's of noted English Romantic painter J.M.W. Turner and his works, or those who simply have an affection for the arts and are looking for something shiny and collectible to add to their own jewellery collection.

Rendered in miniature form and crafted out of gold plated brass and intricate colourful enamel finishing, this charm is a recreation of the real physical artefact that is a part of the Ashmolean's Western Art collection. An 18.5 x 13.8cm sized ceramic palette, that was presented by admirer and champion of Turner, John Ruskin, to the museum in 1861. Presented in the same case as this palette, the original artefact also features two pairs of spectacles and two palette painting knives, all owned by Turner. This charm is perfect for any lovers of art history.

Each charm is sold separately, and you can find a link to the rest of the charms collection by clicking here.

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851), also known 'William Turner' by his contemporaries, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. Known for an expressive use of colour, articulate imagination at capturing landscapes and tempestuous marine paintings. Acknowledged as one of the greatest landscape artists of all time, Turner knew Oxford extremely well. From childhood, he made numerous drawings and watercolours of the streets and colleges and the picturesque views surrounding the city. His legacy includes over 550 oil paintings, 2,000 watercolours, and 30,000 paper-based artworks.

The Ashmolean Museum's Western Art Print Room houses just over 100 watercolours and drawings by Turner, as well as many landscape etchings. There are lively studies of animals, birds and fish, as well as evocative views of places that the artist visited on his travels in Britain and Europe, from Margate to Venice. From the 1840s onward, he was strongly supported by John Ruskin, a leading English art critic whose works are also featured at The Ashmolean Museum. Today, he is celebrated for bringing an esteem to the pursuit of landscape painting that was traditionally reserved for history painting.

The Bill Skinner Studio is a British-based jewellery designer who captures magnificent animals and natural subjects in exquisite detail. Skinner launched his namesake brand with a collection of remarkably charismatic and distinctive pieces in 2012. Inspired by the natural world, the team work from their studio in Kent and hand-carve every delicate piece to ensure that the utmost detail is obtained.

Credit:  J.M.W. Turner's palette case and spectacles. England, circa 1840-1851 (date of creation). Wood, watercolour paint, glass, metals, ceramic, velvet. Presented by John Ruskin, 1861