Box with gold and micromosaic from a model by Giacomo Raffaelli Circa1800.

Round box made of bone meal with blue lacquer. The removable lid is decorated with a micromosaic of exceptional quality. It features a dog with his head turned to the left, sitting on green grass. The low horizon line draws the subject forward, which is reinforced by the parallel placement of the blue, rectangular tesselles (very small mosaic tiles). The dog’s coat is made with varied shades of white tesselles. The border of the micromosaic is embellished with black and white smalti, which are made of glass rather than tile. A band of gold frames the micromosaic. The interior of the box is lined with a marquetry composition of flowers, made out of straw.

Height: 1 in (2.6 cm)
Box Diameter: 3 in (7.5 cm)
Micromosaic Diameter: 2.4 in (6 cm)

Early 19th century work. Italian. Circa 1800.