Antique micromosaic of the Forum Boarium in a gold-plated silver frame from our workshop

Hercules and Fortuna

Antique micromosaic of the Forum Boarium in a gold-plated silver frame from our workshop

€ 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!

Around 1775, Giacomo Raffaelli and Cesare Aguatti in Rome invented a new technique for working glass into tiny mosaics, which became known as "mosaici filati" (spun mosaics). This technique could now be used to decorate jewellery and small everyday objects, snuffboxes, boxes and paperweights with mosaics, which had previously adorned the walls and floors of Italian churches. The most famous mosaic factories of the 18th and 19th centuries were located in Rome, especially in the Vatican, and their most beautiful and sought-after works show particular views of the city of Rome and its famous buildings. Travelers visiting the "Eternal City" wanted to take home a souvenir and bought these pieces. Here we see the circular temple built around 120 BC on the Forum Boarium, Rome's old cattle market on the banks of the Tiber, made of fine glass tesserae. In ancient times, the well-preserved temple was a shrine to Hercules Victor, the victorious Hercules. In later centuries, however, it was thought to have served as a temple for the Vestal Virgins. To the right of it, we also see the temple of Fortuna Virilis - the goddess of luck. She was supposed to keep women's weaknesses and flaws hidden from the eyes of men. An artist, who presumably worked in the Vatican workshops, has succeeded in capturing the temple and atmosphere in the medium of the mosaic with a wealth of atmosphere and detail. The model for the depiction here was one of the copperplate engravings with views of Rome that were produced in large numbers in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the Nouveau Recueil des Vues ... de Rome Moderne, Rome 1776, see here. This fine, perfectly preserved mosaic was created in Rome, probably in the 1860s. Unfortunately, it came to us without a setting. Our goldsmiths have therefore added a setting to the mosaic in the style of the time. It is made of gold-plated silver and turns the mosaic into a brooch. Would you like to join us on a trip to the south?

Learn more

Micromosaics with views of the most beautiful ruins and views of Rome and its surroundings are one of our hobbyhorses. How fine and detailed these small-format masterpieces often are. How they take us on a journey in our thoughts to the warm south. And how rich is the world of antiquity and classicism that we can discover through them. In this depiction, a bridge spans a not too wide river. A round building with battlements rises up in the middle. It appears to stand in the middle of the bridge. A second building can be seen on the right. It is the Ponte Lucano and the tomb of the Plautians at Aniene near Tivoli. The Roman sky stretches beautifully over the scene in hazy blue. The mosaicist has also elegantly created the shadows on the bridge and along the round tomb. The scene on the banks of the Aniene has inspired numerous artists. Jakob Philipp Hackert, for example, captured the view from almost the same vantage point as the mosaicist. The painting from around 1780 is now in the Freuen Deutsches Hochstift in Frankfurt / Main, see here. The Roman ruins, which were part of the usual sightseeing program of every traveller to Rome, were published in numerous plates and travelogues. As an example, we reproduce below a plate from Antonio Nibby: Viaggio Antiquario ne Contorni di Roma, Rome 1819, bound in after p. 112.

Learn more

Size & Details

Hercules and Fortuna

€ 980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

Learn more

Hercules and Fortuna

Brooches & Pins

Privacy settings