Quirky News
Coffee bean queen
A sculptor has created what is believed to be the world's smallest portrait of the Queen - on a 2mm coffee bean.
The miniature masterpiece of the Queen's head is so small it is invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen using a magnifying glass.
The amazing sculpture was made to mark Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee.
British micro-sculptor Willard Wigan created the commemorative tribute by slowing his heartbeat and working between beats to avoid hand tremors.
He used tiny homemade tools and painted with a hair plucked from a housefly's back to carve the microscopic figures.
It took four painstaking weeks to finish after coffee experts Douwe Egberts decided to collaborate with the sculptor to mark the special occasion.
But Wigan, who has been honoured by the Queen with an MBE for his services to art, said he enjoyed the challenge.
what do you think?
Kelly Curtis
Bean there...done that..got the tea shirt.
Michael Watson
God save our BEAN...
Stuart Saxonberg
Maybe you can only see the fine details with magnification, but... Given the scale provided, the claim that you it's "invisible to the naked eye" is ludicrous.
submandave
On a TWO MILLIMETER coffee bean? Sorry, but if that bean measures 2mm in any dimension, then that means the needle's eye is about 0.1mm wide. I've not measured my coffee beans lately, but I'd bet a paycheck that not a single one in my house, pre-grind, is anywhere close to as small as 2mm. Don't mean to rant, but as a technical fellow, I get so tired of reporters and editors who seem to be numerically and scientifically illiterate.
Simon .
1:51pm on 21/5/2012
strange that this is only now a story given that it's been on the orange "quirky week in pictures" for the last 5 days. What's up Orange, having trouble finding NEW stuff to tell us?
Robbie369P .
7:38am on 22/5/2012
You need to get a life mate