Offered by Ouaiss Antiquités
A Three-stranded gold necklace features nine oval micromosaics set in ovals of red purpuring glass and connected with three-festoon gold chains. each micromosaic depicts a monument from ancient Rome.
the micromosaics show the Temple of Vesta and the waterfall of Tivoli, the Ponte Salerio, the tomb of Cecilia Metella, the arch of Septimius Severus.
Micromosaic parure sets appeared with the development of the Grand Tour or extended travels that European aristocracy began to take during the 18th century. Numerous Europeans brought back small, glass micromosaic plates from their travels to Italy, which they then had reset by a jeweler in their respective countries. This type of parure set was very fashionable during the Napoleonic Empire. As such, Napoleon I offered his second wife, Marie-Louise of Austria, a micromosaic parure created by the jeweler, Nitot. This set is currently being conserved at the Louvre museum in Paris.
Gold 18K.
Early 19th century work.
Empire.