A fine pair of Italian Neoclassical ormolu-mounted micromosaic and white marble urns, attributed to Giacomo Raffaelli Rome, circa 1800

Very good condition; lacking covers; the white marble slightly dirty; the micromosaic tesarae in very good condition; some minor wear to edges and with very minor chips to edges of base.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present urns mounted with very fine micromosaic panels depicting birds and butterfiles are very similar to the work of known Italian micromosaic artists who were working in Rome, namely Giacomo Raffaelli (1753-1836), Antonio Aguatti (d. 1846) and Nicola de Vecchis (d. 1834).  A pair of two-handled vases by de Vecchis reputedly given as gifts by Pope Pius VII to Napoleon at his coronation which then became part of the collection of Empress Josephine at Malmaison is now in the Gilbert Collection and is illustrated, Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel, The Gilbert Collection Micromosaics, London, 2000, no. 13, p. 65.
Giacomo Raffaelli came from a family that supplied the Vatican mosaic workshop with smalti, the material of which micromosaics are made. His work is characterized by remarkably naturalistic depictions of birds and foliage of antique inspiration. The depiction of a solitary bird on a branch was probably inspired by 17th century pietre dure plaques produced at the Opificio in Florence. Patronized by Pope Pius VI (1775-1779) and King Stanilaus-August Poniatowski of Poland in 1775, at age twenty-two, he gave the first exhibition at his Rome studio of miniature mosaics. One of his earliest known examples is a small round plaque, signed and dated 1779 depicting the Doves of Pliny (British Museum), however, numerous pieces attributed to Raffaelli, such as the eight miniature mosaics on an inkstand in the Wallace Collection, are unmarked.