Bracelet antiquisant ouvrant Lot n° 25

Opening antique bracelet in 18K (750) gold, decorated with a polychrome micromosaic representing a dove in flowery foliage flanked by swans, the back part decorated with a frieze of geometric granulation motifs, the hinge with pin. Probably Italian work from the second half of the 19th century. Dimensions: about 1.5 x 16.5 cm. Gross weight: 25.3 g (misses) It seems that the discovery of the parietal mosaic representing Pliny's Doves in Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli in 1737 was the starting point of the mosaicists' research on micromosaics. Alessio Mattioli was the first to have proposed a palette of coloured and matt glasses as early as 1731, very distinct from the translucent glasses used in Venice. His activity met with great success and he was commissioned to produce tesserae for the Vatican workshop between 1730 and 1750. From then on, the masters competed with talent to develop the "mosaico in piccolo", a miniature mosaic that was easily transportable. The micromosaic is an image made from hundreds of glass tesserae obtained from small pieces cut from coloured glass rods, the "smalti filatti". These tesserae are placed one against the other to form patterns on a mortar and then polished to give them a shine. Jeanette Hanesee Gabriel, The Gilbert Collection, Micromosaics, Trieste 20000, p. 27 ff. Roberto Grieco, Micromosaici romani, Roma 2008