16th Sep, 2026 12:00

London | Ancient & Modern

 
Lot 38
 


Lot 38 - WENDY RAMSHAW (BRITISH 1939-2018)
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38

⊕ WENDY RAMSHAW (BRITISH 1939-2018)

MILLENNIUM MEDAL, 1999
inscribed on the medal OPENED BY HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH ON 31 DEECEMBER 1999 / THE DOME AT GREENWICH, LONDON: FOCUS OF THE MILLENNIUM CELEBRATIONS IN THE YEAR 2000
18 ct yellow gold medal, with zeradour glass dome and laser cut nanocrystalline diamond coated steel
5 pieces

Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

Only four of these works were ever made, one is now in the Royal Collection, gifted to the Queen, another is in the Government Collection, and the third belongs to the British Museum. This is very likely to be the only one to ever be offered for sale. The work mirrors the dome with two steel discs cut to mimic the canopy, sitting around an 18 ct yellow gold disc, inscribed with reference to the millennium. These discs are then in turn housed within two glass hemispheres, again shaped to replicate the dome. As works of art they are each exquisite components, but as a united body the whole is an astonishing accomplishment.

Few projects embody the optimism and opportunity of the late 1990s better than the Millenium Dome. It is a development which Tony Blair promised would 'be a beacon to the world'. The sense of possibility which permeated society, the idea that the future held something exciting and this monumental occasion (the passing of the millennium) demanded recognition, was reflected in every element of the dome’s construction. Designed by Richard Rogers the building's intention was to ask the questions about who we wanted to be, and how we were going to do it. The medal is an apt and uniquely beautiful response to these big questions.
As a coming together of craft and pioneering technology, the brainchild of groundbreaking creator and one of the twentieth century’s most important jewellers and designers, Wendy Ramshaw's Millennium Medal stands apart. The techniques and materials employed, laser cut steel, which at the time was extremely uncommon, and zeradour glass, were conscious adventurous choices which speak to her astounding vision and experimentation. Ramshaw always saw jewellery as a creative outlet for her ideas, and her earliest pieces in paper were sold with much fanfare by Mary Quant in the 1960s. Interested in making more one-of-a-kind pieces, a commission for a ring featuring one large moonstone led her to design her groundbreaking clustered, stacking rings on turned pillars. The ring sets propelled her career and allowed her to grow creatively.

Sold for £8,000


 

MILLENNIUM MEDAL, 1999
inscribed on the medal OPENED BY HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH ON 31 DEECEMBER 1999 / THE DOME AT GREENWICH, LONDON: FOCUS OF THE MILLENNIUM CELEBRATIONS IN THE YEAR 2000
18 ct yellow gold medal, with zeradour glass dome and laser cut nanocrystalline diamond coated steel
5 pieces

Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

Only four of these works were ever made, one is now in the Royal Collection, gifted to the Queen, another is in the Government Collection, and the third belongs to the British Museum. This is very likely to be the only one to ever be offered for sale. The work mirrors the dome with two steel discs cut to mimic the canopy, sitting around an 18 ct yellow gold disc, inscribed with reference to the millennium. These discs are then in turn housed within two glass hemispheres, again shaped to replicate the dome. As works of art they are each exquisite components, but as a united body the whole is an astonishing accomplishment.

Few projects embody the optimism and opportunity of the late 1990s better than the Millenium Dome. It is a development which Tony Blair promised would 'be a beacon to the world'. The sense of possibility which permeated society, the idea that the future held something exciting and this monumental occasion (the passing of the millennium) demanded recognition, was reflected in every element of the dome’s construction. Designed by Richard Rogers the building's intention was to ask the questions about who we wanted to be, and how we were going to do it. The medal is an apt and uniquely beautiful response to these big questions.
As a coming together of craft and pioneering technology, the brainchild of groundbreaking creator and one of the twentieth century’s most important jewellers and designers, Wendy Ramshaw's Millennium Medal stands apart. The techniques and materials employed, laser cut steel, which at the time was extremely uncommon, and zeradour glass, were conscious adventurous choices which speak to her astounding vision and experimentation. Ramshaw always saw jewellery as a creative outlet for her ideas, and her earliest pieces in paper were sold with much fanfare by Mary Quant in the 1960s. Interested in making more one-of-a-kind pieces, a commission for a ring featuring one large moonstone led her to design her groundbreaking clustered, stacking rings on turned pillars. The ring sets propelled her career and allowed her to grow creatively.

Auction: London | Ancient & Modern, 16th Sep, 2026

London is a city which has had a greater impact on culture around the world than almost any other, and it has never been more important than now to shine a light on its remarkable citizens and history. From Magna Carta to the television London has, again and again, been the source from which progress has radiated. The present sale takes us from a medieval spur found under Cannon Street station, to a medal minted to commemorate the Millennium, from prints and paintings, to clocks and pistols. This sale is a sensational opportunity to acquire a small piece of this incomparable place. Olympia is a proudly London-based auction house and we are thrilled to be offering the inaugural instalment of this sale.

Viewing

PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 13th September: 12pm to 4pm
Monday 14th September: 10am to 8.00pm (Drinks from 5pm)
Tuesday 15th September: 10am to 5pm

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