Gold Boxes, Ceramics & Silver

Gold Boxes, Ceramics & Silver

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 56. A micromosaic plaque, Gioacchino Barberi, Rome, circa 1820/25.

A micromosaic plaque, Gioacchino Barberi, Rome, circa 1820/25

Lot Closed

May 26, 12:55 PM GMT

Estimate

40,000 - 60,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

A micromosaic plaque, Gioacchino Barberi,

Rome, circa 1820/25


rectangular, the micromosaic plaque representing a group of four friendly Cavalier King Charles spaniels on a tiled floor before a panelled wall, signed G. Barberi, within a later gilt-metal frame,

9.7cm., 3 7/8 in. wide

In the 18th and early 19th century, the Rome-based Barberi family were in high demand by members of the European and Russian aristocracy for their skillful techniques of micromosaics. While 'Cavaliere' Michelangelo Barberi (1787-1867), produced mainly wonderful table tops, his uncle Gioacchino Leone Ulisse (1782-1857) was listed in 1847 as one of the leading miniature micromosaicists in Rome. 

His workshop was located at 99 Piazza di Spagna. At his death, he was credited with the invention of black enamel smalti, which he used for backgrounds in compositions taken from wall paintings at Herculaneum. Gioacchino Barberi also produced table tops, including one for Prince Anatole Demidoff (see Sotheby's New York, 12 April 2011, lot 254) but his main production was smaller panels, including animals subjects, such as a panel representing a dog and cat fighting, mounted in a gold box, A.J. Strachan, London, 1807-1808, illustrated by Jeanette Gabriel, The Gilbert Collection, Micromosaics, 2000, cat. 18.

For a short period of time, Gioacchino Barberi had also entered a rather successful partnership with the renowned Geneva firm of Moulinié, Bautte and Moynier, as a handful of high quality gold and enamel snuff boxes, inset with micromosaic plaques by Barberi, demonstrate (for a magnificent example, see Sotheby’s London, 10 May 2016, lot 254).