Rachel Larkins is a jeweller who takes inspiration from museum collections, folklore, and fairy tales. Alongside existing pieces, new work taking direct inspiration from the historic artworks in our museum is available to purchase.
Pieces range in price from £120 – £640. Contact our friendly shop team to enquire and purchase.
Rachel Larkins paints tiny portraits, natural specimens, and mythical beasts before encapsulating them in resin in her studio in the New Forest. This makes her subjects appear behind glass, just like the museum objects in cases which she is so drawn to. Paired with semi-precious stones and settings, these wearable artworks are intended to be worn close to the body – just like the historic miniature portraits in in our museum.
We asked Rachel to create a bespoke collection of jewellery inspired by our current exhibition The World’s Mine Oyster. Rachel was predominately drawn to the histories of the women of Welbeck; some of whom are known for the part they played on a wider historical and political stage and some who perhaps had quieter lives. Within their portraits, many are adorned in magnificent jewels, which inspired the settings for individual pieces. The eagle-eyed amongst our visitors might notice objects and people from the exhibition recreated in miniature.
“I chose to focus on Margaret Duchess of Portland and her companion Mary Delaney for key pieces, both innovators in their respective fields and close companions during their respective lives. Margaret’s fascination with snail shells in childhood foreshadowed a life of collecting and connecting with others who shared her passion for objects and their classification.
For many if not most, family history is fragmented and the stories which co-exist with objects passed down can be lost within a generation or two. The privilege of aristocratic birth is surely to live amongst treasures accumulated over centuries which give an insight into ancestral legacy.”