Miniature art includes paintings, engravings and sculptures that are very small; it has a long history that dates back to prehistory. The portrait miniature ...MiniatureartFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopediaJumptonavigationJumptosearchForotherkindsofminiatureart,seeMiniaturepainting(disambiguation).Formodelart(i.e.modelingforfiguredrawing),seeModel(art).Miniaturechair;byPeterCarlFabergé;madebetween1896and1906;Gold,silvergilt,enameloverengineturnedgroundsimulatingbrocadedtextile,rubiesanddiamonds;overall:10.5x5.3x4.8cm;ClevelandMuseumofArt(USA)MiniatureoilpaintingofHamiltonPool,TexasHillCountry;oilon2.5x3.5in.panelMiniaturecookingshape;circa1700-1799;copper;1.8×3.7cm;Rijksmuseum(Amsterdam,theNetherlands)Miniatureartincludespaintings,engravingsandsculpturesthatareverysmall;ithasalonghistorythatdatesbacktoprehistory.Theportraitminiatureisthemostcommonforminrecentcenturies,andfromancienttimes,engravedgems,oftenusedasimpressionseals,andcylindersealsinvariousmaterialswereveryimportant.ForexamplemostsurvivingexamplesoffigurativeartfromtheIndusValleyCivilizationandinMinoanartareverysmallseals.Gothicboxwoodminiaturesareverysmallcarvingsinwood,usedforrosarybeadsandthelike.Westernpaintingsinilluminatedmanuscriptsareknownasminiatures,evenifnotverysmall-thissenseofthewordinfacthasadifferentderivation,fromaLatinwordforareddishpigment.Miniaturearthasbeenmadeforover2500yearsandisprizedbycollectors.Museumsaroundtheworldhavecollectionsofminiaturepaintings,drawings,originalprintsandetchings,andsculpture.[citationneeded]Miniatureartsocieties,suchastheWorldFederationofMiniaturists(WFM)andRoyalMiniatureSociety,provideapplicableofthemaximumsizecoveredbytheterm.[1]Anoften-useddefinitionisthatapieceofminiatureartcanbeheldinthepalmofthehand,orthatitcoverslessthan25squareinchesor100 cm².Someexhibitsrequirethesubjectstobedepictedin1/6actualsize,andinallpaintingsthespiritofminiaturisationshouldbemaintained.Contents1Collecting2Artistsoftheminiatureartgenre3Seealso4References5FurtherreadingCollecti