Antique Micromosaic in the Archaeological Style, c. 1880

Rome, the eternal city, already fascinated travelers in the 19th century. Then as now, they often bought souvenirs to remember their visit later. This brooch not only bears the lettering "ROMA" in raised letters - it also recalls the long history of the Roman Empire in other details. The brooch features two round micromosaics as showpieces. These show in bright colors the representation of a scarab beetle, which was worshipped in ancient Egypt as a symbol of the sun god Re. Since the death of the last pharaoh Cleopatra, the land on the Nile belonged to the Roman Empire. With a culture that was already thousands of years old at the time, Egypt also fascinated the Romans, as evidenced by the Pyramid of Cestius at Porta San Paolo. The brooch was created in Italy in the last third of the 19th century and found its way to England in the luggage of a traveler, where we discovered it. Now in the north, it reminds us of happy days in Rome and the city's long history.

Estimate:$658.23

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