Jewelry set micromosaic - Brooch and earrings in 18K yellow gold
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This remarkably well-preserved 19th-century Italian micromosaic Jewelry set is hand-formed from tiny pieces of colored glass. It includes a brooch and a matching pair of earrings, each finely crafted with early Christian symbols on a rich red ground.
The doves, the monogramme Chi-Rho, the Alpha and Omega, the grapes, and the wheat evoke faith, eternity, and the Eucharist. The brooch bears a Vatican workshop mark, linking this Victorian Jewelry set to a Roman workshop, the Vatican Mosaic Studio, renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship, giving it a rare resonance nearly a century and a half later.
- Type of jewelry: Jewelry set comprising a brooch and a matching pair of earrings, presented in its original fitted case.
- Condition: very good condition.
- Country of origin: Italy, Rome.
- Style: Italian Grand Tour micromosaic jewelry. Also associated with the Victorian style.
- Style characteristics: this Jewelry set belongs to the 19th-century Italian micromosaic tradition, closely associated with Rome and Grand Tour jewelry. Its mosaic panels on a red ground combine very fine glass tesserae with early Christian symbolism, including doves, the monogramme Chi-Rho, the Alpha and Omega, grapes, and wheat. The gold settings, with their beaded, filigree, and archaeological-inspired details, reflect the 19th-century taste for jewelry inspired by Antiquity and early Christian art.
- Period: circa 1870.
- Source of inspiration: early Christian iconography, as revived in 19th-century Roman micromosaic jewelry.
- Theme: Christian symbolism, with doves, the monogramme Chi-Rho, one of the earliest monograms of Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, grapes and wheat, all referring to faith, eternity, and the Eucharist.
- Material: 18K yellow gold with silver mounts for the micromosaic panels.
- Technique: micromosaic, a highly refined form of mosaic in which tiny pieces of colored glass, called tesserae, are placed very close together to create detailed images. In 19th-century Rome, particularly within the circle of Vatican mosaic workshops, this work reached an exceptional level of precision. The tiny pieces of glass, often made from drawn glass threads called smalti filati, allowed artisans to create images of painterly delicacy. In this Jewelry set, the micromosaic panels are set into silver trays within the gold jewelry, with a mother-of-pearl backing visible on the lower parts of the earrings.
- Additional information: this Jewelry set belongs to the refined tradition of 19th-century Roman micromosaic, closely associated with the mosaic workshops of Rome and the Vatican. Tiny glass tesserae were used to create images of remarkable detail, often with a painterly delicacy. Jewelry of this type was especially prized by Grand Tour travelers, and examples with early Christian iconography form a distinct group within Italian micromosaic jewelry.
- Context: micromosaic jewelry became particularly prized in 19th-century Rome, where tiny pieces of colored glass were arranged with extraordinary precision to form miniature images. The finest Roman micromosaic works were closely associated with the Vatican mosaic workshops, whose artisans developed an exceptional level of technical refinement. Many of these jewels were acquired by Grand Tour travelers, the educational journey through Europe, especially Italy, undertaken by wealthy travelers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Trained mosaicists also supplied visitors from workshops and stalls located near the Spanish Steps, at the heart of the district frequented by foreign visitors in Rome. This Jewelry set is particularly interesting because its decoration does not depict the more common Roman ruins or floral subjects, but rather Early Christian symbols such as doves, the monogramme Chi-Rho, the Alpha and Omega, grapes, and wheat.
- Hallmarks: the brooch bears a Vatican workshop mark depicting crossed keys beneath the papal tiara. The crossed keys are the Keys of Saint Peter, symbolizing the spiritual authority traditionally associated with the papacy, while the tiara refers to the papal office itself.
- Dimensions: brooch diameter: 3.90 cm; earring height: 4.90 cm.
- Weight: 28.50 g.
- Fitted case: preserved in its fitted case.
Référence 58 Facettes : 10359138025801
SKU : 26127-0287
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