An Italian micromosaic plaque, Rome, early 19th century
Lot Closed
April 7, 12:07 PM GMT
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
An Italian micromosaic plaque, Rome
early 19th century
depicting the Doves of Pliny, on a metal backing
6.8cm. diameter; 2 5/8 in.
A similar plaque signed by Giacomo Raffaelli was sold at Christie's, London, Centuries of Style, 28 November 2012, lot 525 (£8,750).
The composition of the present finely executed mosaic derives from the celebrated Hadrian's Villa marble mosaic dating from the 2nd century BC, rediscovered in 1737 and now in the Capitoline Museum, Rome. The Roman author and historian Pliny the Elder, in his Historia Naturalis described the panel as: "A dove drinking, and darkening the water with the shadow of her head, on the lip of the vessel are other doves pluming themselves." This mosaic is now commonly known as The Doves of Pliny and has been described by Alvar Gonzalez-Palacios as "perhaps the most loved mosaic of antiquity" (Alvar Gonzalez-Palacios, The Art of Mosaics: Selections from the Gilbert Collection (exh.cat.), Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, 1977, p. 57).
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