Porphyry Case, Micromosaïc, Miniature and Rose Gold Mount

Attributed to the workshops of Giacomo Raffaeli (1753-1836)
Porphyry, rose gold, enamel and colored glass tesserae ‘smalti filati’, copper plate.
Rome, ca. 1810.
H. 3 cm, Ø 7 cm.

Case in porphyry decorated with a micro-mosaic of enamel and colored glass 'smalti filati' on a copper plate. They are attributed to the workshops of Giacomo Raffaelli, and set on rose gold.

The four doves drinking from a cup were inspired by the famous Roman mosaic known as Pliny's mosaic, discovered in1737 in the Villa Hadrian described by Pliny in his Natural History, and now in the Capitoline Museums.

The mosaic is executed with great finesse of detail, such as the reflection of the drinking bird in the water.
The assembly of the miniature tesserae that make up this micro-mosaic is the work of a true goldsmith. Their regular organization is typical of the greatest Roman mosaic artists.

The inside of the box reveals a miniature portrait of a woman on ivory.