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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Silver & Gold / Antique micromosaic of the Forum Boarium in a gold-plated silver frame
Around 1775, Giacomo Raffaelli and Cesare Aguatti in Rome invented a new technique for working glass into tiny mosaics, which became known as "mosaici filati" (spun mosaics). This technique could now be used to decorate jewellery and small everyday objects, snuffboxes, boxes and paperweights with mosaics, which had previously adorned the walls and floors of Italian churches. The most famous mosaic factories of the 18th and 19th centuries were located in Rome, especially in the Vatican, and their most beautiful and sought-after works show particular views of the city of Rome and its famous buildings. Travelers visiting the "Eternal City" wanted to take home a souvenir and bought these pieces. Here we see the circular temple built around 120 BC on the Forum Boarium, Rome's old cattle market on the banks of the Tiber, made of fine glass tesserae. In ancient times, the well-preserved temple was a shrine to Hercules Victor, the victorious Hercules. In later centuries, however, it was thought to have served as a temple for the Vestal Virgins. To the right of it, we also see the temple of Fortuna Virilis - the goddess of luck. She was supposed to keep women's weaknesses and flaws hidden from the eyes of men. An artist, who presumably worked in the Vatican workshops, has succeeded in capturing the temple and atmosphere in the medium of the mosaic with a wealth of atmosphere and detail. The model for the depiction here was one of the copperplate engravings with views of Rome that were produced in large numbers in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the Nouveau Recueil des Vues ... de Rome Moderne, Rome 1776, see here. This fine, perfectly preserved mosaic was created in Rome, probably in the 1860s. Unfortunately, it came to us without a setting. Our goldsmiths have therefore added a setting to the mosaic in the style of the time. It is made of gold-plated silver and turns the mosaic into a brooch. Would you like to join us on a trip to the south?
Estimate:$1,115.01
To the auctionView all items fromHofer AntikschmuckorSilver & Gold
Estimate:
$1,115.01
Miniature Coalport pieces, bronze dog paperweight, soapstone, jewellery, etc.
09/22/2026
$92.47
Est: $66.92
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Dansk Silver Plate Polar Bear Paperweight, Mid to Late 20th Century
09/14/2026
$37
Est: $17
