Footnotes

• Like cameos, mosaics have their roots in ancient civilisations. Both were studied and developed in the Renaissance. Victorian times saw a revival of interest in both, and with the advent of the Grand Tour, production of mosaics increased dramatically.
  
  Micromosaics are formed of small pieces of stone or glass (tesserae) of differing shapes and shades of colour, which are fitted together to create a picture.
  
  Popular subject matters were: animals – dogs, birds and horses; Romantic symbols including Cupid with his bow and arrows, and Venus' doves, often with a basket of flowers, also the Capitoline doves depicting doves on the rim of a wide goblet or dish of water. Classic pastoral scenes, peasants or early Romans tending livestock or grouped around straw huts; Roman ruins were depicted from the late 18th century onwards and suites often depicted popular tourist destinations such as the Pantheon, the Colosseum and the Trevi fountain.
  
  The present lot is a fine example of the micromosaic methodology. It combines depictions of classical subject-matter, with an evidently superior level of workmanship.

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Category: Jewellery

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