Oval onyx medallion with micro-mosaic decoration... - Lot 13 - L'Huillier & Associés

Lot 13
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100 - 200 EUR
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Result : 280EUR
Oval onyx medallion with micro-mosaic decoration... - Lot 13 - L'Huillier & Associés
Oval onyx medallion with micro-mosaic decoration of a view of the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome. Italy, Rome first half of the 19th century. Height: 4 cm - Width: 3.3 cm Provenance: - Collection of an apostolic nuncio from the middle of the XIXth century. - Kept in his family until today. The term "micro-mosaic" is used to describe a mosaic in which the tiny elements of spun glass, fragments of coloured enamel (smalti filati) or hard stones, which make up its decoration, are very finely assembled in such a way as to make the joints almost imperceptible. There are two types of pieces: the classic micro mosaics mounted by assembling tiny plates cut from glass rods, smalti filati, Roman and the Pietra dura which are inlays of hard stones and are they Florentine. An assembly composed of regular shapes is typical of Rome, while in Venice a wide variety of shapes are used for the creation of mosaics. The Roman technique is that the pieces after assembly and gluing are waxed and polished unlike the Venetian pieces. The miniature tesserae made of cut glass are extremely fine. Many of these elements cut from extruded glass rods have a cross-section of less than 0.1 cm. Barely thicker than a hair, these filati smalti can be more than 800 per cm2. The larger the number, the higher the quality of the object. It is a true goldsmith's work, where great masters such as Giacomo Raffaelli have been making their mark since the end of the 18th century.
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