The Miniature: Unreal Presence

Perspectives from Archaeology, Art History, and Architecture

edited by Carl Knappett and Matt Kavaler

Book cover: The Miniature: Unreal Presence

Extent: 220 pages

Publisher: Brepols Publishers

Subjects: Architecture, Art & Art History

Series: Art History (Outside a Series)

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(April 2026)

ISBN: 9782503618937

Price: $157.00

Out of stock

This volume explores the theme of the miniature – an ever-present form of material culture in human societies that is both reductive and intensifying, comforting and unsettling.


Though encountered in a wide range of societies past and present, miniatures have often been dismissed as playthings or trifles unworthy of scholarly attention. However, as object worlds increasingly make themselves impossible to ignore, the generative processes of material culture have come to the fore. One such process is miniaturisation, which is particularly intriguing as a means by which relations are created across object worlds. The scaling down from a prototypical object to a reduced version thereof is a powerful form of condensation and commentary. This volume integrates perspectives on this process from art history and archaeology, creating a new interdisciplinary outlook on this cross-cultural phenomenon.

  • Edited by Matt Kavaler
  • Edited by Carl Knappett