Travellers who visited the city of Rome in the 19th century were particularly fond of bringing home micromosaics with views of the most important sights as souvenirs. We would like to present you such a micromosaic brooch of the middle 19th century in this offer. In a simple setting of low-carat gold, the brooch presents a black field in which an oval micromosaic is inserted. Set in fine glass sesserae, we see the round temple built in 120 BC on the Forum Boarium, the ancient cattle market of Rome on the banks of the Tiber. The well-preserved temple was in ancient times a sanctuary of Hercules Victor, the victorious Hercules. To the right of it we also see the temple of Fortuna Virilis. The goddess of fortune, who was worshipped here, was supposed to keep the weaknesses and flaws of women hidden from the eyes of men. At the time of the brooch's creation, around 1850, the wearer of the piece could therefore rejoice in a cunning hidden meaning: the brooch brought an obvious veneration of the stronger sex and at the same time a renewed veneration of the goddess, which could bring her own luck... Rich in atmosphere and detail, an artist who probably worked in the workshops of the Vatican has succeeded in capturing the temple and atmosphere in the medium of the mosaic. A delicate frame of silver with gold plating holds the mosaic and makes it wearable as a brooch.

Around 1775, Giacomo Raffaelli and Cesare Aguatti in Rome invented a new technique of working glass into tiny mosaics, which became known as "mosaici filati" (spun mosaics). Using this technique, it was now possible to decorate jewellery and small everyday objects snuffboxes, boxes, paperweights with mosaics that 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, besides especially views of the city of Rome and its famous buildings, which were bought by travellers who visited the "Eternal City" and wanted to take a souvenir.