Antique Gold Brooch With Micromosaic of the Roman Forum, c. 1875

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

Antique Gold Brooch With Micromosaic of the Roman Forum, c. 1875

€ 1,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

The coronation ceremonial of the popes contained a warning that reminded even the Holy Father of the transience of all worldly splendor. On the way to St. Peter's Church, a ceremoniar admonished him three times with the words "Pater sancte, sic transit gloria mundi" - "Holy Father, the glory of the world is passing away", while burning a bundle of tow. It is actually surprising that the Pope needed such moral instruction. After all, when he looked out of the windows of the Vatican Palace, the ruins of ancient Rome reminded him daily of the futility of earthly existence. The travelers who visited the Eternal City on a Grand Tour were equally impressed and moved by the crumbling witnesses of the past. This early 19th century brooch is probably a souvenir of such a trip and shows the most famous ruins of the city in the medium of the mosaic: the Roman Forum. Once the undisputed center of the Roman Empire, we see a multitude of its ancient monuments depicted. From the foot of the Capitoline Hill, the view is to the east. On the left edge we can see the triumphal arch of Septimius Severus, erected in 203 AD, while the columns of the temples of the deified emperor Vespasian and Saturn rise up on the right edge. In the middle, slightly in the background, a single column can be seen. It was erected in 608 AD by the Byzantine Emperor Phocas and is the last ancient monument to be added to the Forum. The round mosaic is framed by a ring of green malachite and is set in a surface of deep black glass. The finely crafted mosaic is set in an elaborate 14-karat gold setting. Fine cord soldering reveals the formal language of the so-called archaeological style and allows us to date the brooch to the 1870s. It has survived the passage of time wonderfully in its original case.

Size & Details

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

€ 1,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

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