Pendant With an Antique Micromosaic of the Temple on the Forum Boarium

The ruins of the city of Rome are unlikely to leave anyone untouched. Even after thousands of years, the sublime buildings still convey the power and grandeur of the Roman Empire, but also remind us of the inevitable transience of all earthly splendor. Travelers who visited the Eternal City in the 19th century were particularly fond of bringing home views of the ancient legacies in the medium of the finest micromosaics as souvenirs. This piece of jewellery from the middle years of the 19th century is one such example. In a field of royal blue glass, the piece of jewellery shows a depiction of one of the most famous pieces of jewellery of Roman power. Set in fine glass tesserae, we see the circular temple built around 120 BC on the Forum Boarium, Rome's old cattle market on the banks of the Tiber. The temple, which is still well-preserved today, was a shrine to Hercules Victor, the victorious Hercules, in ancient times. In later centuries, however, it was thought to have served as a temple for the Vestal Virgins. To the right of it, behind a residential building, we also see the temple of the port god Portunus, which was attributed to the goddess Fortuna Virilis in post-antiquity. The view of the temple and the buildings surrounding it changed from time to time over the centuries. The state of the mosaic is that of the mid-19th century. An aquatint sheet created around 1820 by the British artist Regina Catherine Carey shows a very similar view, see here. A sheet like this certainly served the mosaic artist as a model for his work. A simple setting of yellow and red gold holds the highly oval depiction. The piece of jewellery was probably once a brooch. In later times, the pin was removed and a high eyelet was added so that the piece can now be worn as a pendant. This beautiful piece came to us from Thuringia.

Estimate:$1,326.68

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