Arte Italiana - Victorian Italian Gold Plated Micro Mosaic Floral Brooch (VICBR041)

Arte Italiana - Victorian Italian Gold Plated Micro Mosaic Floral Brooch (VICBR041)

$295.00

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Arte Italiana - Victorian Italian Gold Plated Micro-Mosaic Glass Floral Brooch. This lovely brooch is crafted from a gold plate/wash over metal, signed Made In Italy. The brooch features micro mosaic tile work, and Victorian era styling. This brooch is made in an oval shape, which is hand-set with colourful mosaic tiles. The central portion is designed into a circular disc, which showcases a beautiful floral design. Whereas the border displays micro-mosaic turquoise glass-work. The outer portion of the metal setting, has a wonderful twisted rope design, which adds even more character and detail to the piece. The back of the brooch has its original 'C' clasp and pin closure, which is in perfect working order. This Victorian era brooch would enhance any outfit, hat or scarf. So charming!

History: The heyday of mosaics was during the Byzantine Empire (330-1453) when they were used to adorn the early Christian churches. They were popular because they were durable and could be incredibly sumptuous and grand, especially with the abundant use of gold leaf tesserae.

Micro-mosaics are created from tiny pieces of glass or enamel, called tesserae, which are arranged to form an image. Each micro mosaic is created by a steady and patient hand –a skill set that can be appreciated as these micro-mosaics are usually measured no more than a few inches and each piece of tesserae can be as small as a pencil lead, about 1 mm. It is truly an art form that is a labor of love.

Italian mosaics are an art form dating back to the late 18th century, first found in architecture, that flourished into a thriving industry in Italy. Italy’s majestic buildings of the late 18^th century were filled with beautiful mosaic scenes. The most notable of them, St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, features over 10,000 square meters of mosaic. However, after all the construction, the artisans responsible for creating and maintaining them found themselves short of work so they started “side hustles” creating miniature versions to sell to private customers, thus the micro-mosaic jewelry industry was born.

Giacomo Raffaelli is the artists considered to be the founding father of micro mosaic jewelry. He hosted his first selling exhibition of micro mosaics at his studio in Rome in 1775. Many artists followed suit and created beautiful micro mosaics as souvenirs for the wealthy who visited Italy. This trend was popular from the 17^th-19^th centuries. Sadly, by the turn of the 20^th century, micro-mosaics lost their appeal as the Art Deco movement became the trend of the time. Micro-mosaic jewelry can still be found to this day in Italy, sold popularly as a souvenir.

To care for your micro-mosaic jewelry, make sure to never soak it in water or cleaning solutions. This can damage the cement holding the tesserae in place. If your piece is very dirty, gently scrub it with a soft toothbrush using diluted dish soap. Rinse and dry immediately. We go so far as to blow-dry our jewelry after a cleaning to make sure it is completely dry.

Measurements: Brooch 49.50 mm x 32.00 mm

Weight: 25.80 grams

Condition: Excellent

Origin: Italy

Date: Circa 1900