Earring
ca.1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This set of jewellery, comprising necklace, bracelet and earrings, has the unusual and technically impressive feature that each panel is double-sided. The wearer could choose between the two most popular decorative themes - with either the monuments of Rome or figures in regional costume uppermost.
The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration work today.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration work today.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Gold silver and copper alloy, blue glass and micromosaic. |
| Brief description | Gold, silver and copper alloy, blue glass and micromosaic, Rome, ca.1850. |
| Physical description | Part of a suite of jewellery comprising a necklace, bracelet and pair of earrings, all composed of chain-linked ovals of micromosaic set into blue glass bordered in an alloy of gold, silver and copper. This set is unique in that it has mosaics on both sides, one side depicting Italian peasants in regional costumes, the other depicting monuments and ruins. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Historical context | Mosaics of peasants were often based on engravings by Bartolomeo Pinelli (1781-1835) which were published in Rome in 1816. |
| Production | Ex cat. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This set of jewellery, comprising necklace, bracelet and earrings, has the unusual and technically impressive feature that each panel is double-sided. The wearer could choose between the two most popular decorative themes - with either the monuments of Rome or figures in regional costume uppermost. The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration work today. Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996. |
| Associated objects | |
| Other number | MM 323 c - Arthur Gilbert Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.152:1-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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