Bracelet
ca.1870 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This bracelet's shape is based on ancient jewellery. However Renaissance, rather than ancient, sources inspired its decorative panel of Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn. The original, a ceiling fresco by Guido Reni (1575-1642), is at the Pallavicini-Rospigliosi Palace in Rome.
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 | Cast gold and mosaic |
| Brief description | Bracelet with Aurora, micromosaic, gold, Rome, ca. 1870. |
| Physical description | Oval mosaic and gold bracelet with locking hinges, one half with a scene after Guido Reni's fresco Aurora showing the goddess in her chariot with her entourage in the sky. |
| 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 |
| Object history | With Hancocks & Co., 1976 Historical significance: There are other micromosaic copies after Reni's Aurora, one by the celebrated mosaicist Luigi Moglia whose workshop was located at 134 via Babuino, Rome, is now in the Heermitage, St. Petersburg. |
| Historical context | Guido Reni's ceiling fresco in the Pallavicini-Rospigliosi Palace in the Piazza Monte Cavallo was one of the sights of Rome for the Grand Tourist. When the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) viewed it in 1858 he noted 'the picture is as fresh and brilliant as if he had painted it with the morning sunshine which it represents'. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This bracelet's shape is based on ancient jewellery. However Renaissance, rather than ancient, sources inspired its decorative panel of Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn. The original, a ceiling fresco by Guido Reni (1575-1642), is at the Pallavicini-Rospigliosi Palace in Rome. 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. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.142:1-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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