box;
mosaic
- Museum number
- 1978,1002.770
- Description
-
Tortoise-shell box with the lid inset with a glass micromosaic of a seated hound, on a deep blue background and millefiori tesserae forming a red, white and blue border. The mosaic is set in a tooled gold frame of foliate scrollwork in relief. The base is stamped with the date and an Austrian warranty mark.
- Production date
- 18thC-19thC
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 8.40 centimetres
-
Height: 2.25 centimetres (at edge)
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Text from catalogue of the Hull Grundy Gift (Gere et al 1984) no 931:
In the millefiori technique the spun threads of glass are fused together and then sliced into cubes to produce pattered tesserae. A mosaic plaque with an almost identical dog is set into a circular gold box with shaped hardstone panels in the Gilbert Collection in Los Angeles (transferred to Somerset House, London, 2000). The box is described as 'late 18th century, in the manner of C.G. Stiehl of Dresden', a contemporary of Neuber, and the mosaic as 'close to works produced in the studio of Giacomo Raffaeli' (Gonzales Palacios 1977, no.23). This particular seated dog was clearly a popular subject produced in a number of workshops, but this example is of extremely high quality (see also Petochi 1981, pp.100-1).
For similar tooled-gold frames, but containing engraved gems, see 837 and 846, both of Italian workmanship, and 872, the latter by Vachette of Paris. The Empress Marie-Louise (1791-1847) owned a suite of gold jewellery set with mosaics of the 'Ruins of Rome' (see 938, 939) on blue glass backgrounds, all mounted in oval or rectangular frames of chased gold with enamel rims characteristic of French gold boxes of the early nineteenth century (see Grandjean 1976, colour pl. B). (Judy Rudoe)
The Gilbert Collection is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum (Charlotte Gere)
For a signed micro-mosaic circular panel by Giacomo Raffaelli depicting the 'Doves of Pliny' in shades of white, yellow, brown and grey; set into a copper frame; with signature and date incised on the reverse, see 1990,0710.1. (Charlotte Gere)
- Location
- On display (G47/dc8)
- Acquisition date
- 1978-1981
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1978,1002.770
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: HG.770 (masterlist number)