Extraordinary Early 19th Century Micromosaic Brooch in Malachite and 18K Gold Etruscan Revival Setting

NWS 1-1269

~ Hold onto your hats, folks! And take a good, long look. It's not often that we get to see a micromosaic brooch of this age and beauty that is in near-perfect condition. I say "near" perfect only because there's an ever so slight dip in the pin stem (which doesn't effect its function). Other than that, there are no chips, cracks, or repairs. The surface is completely smooth but has NOT been coated, or otherwise treated. This is simply a masterpiece of early Italian mosaic work, never to be surpassed by any other culture, at any point in human history.

~ Using a 10x jeweler's loupe, I can detect 2 or 3 minuscule blank spaces, but this probably is an intentional part of the design and not missing tiles, as they are smaller than any surrounding tesserae. These are just points in the design where the grout shows. The condition of the mosaic is  in as close to its original condition as is possible for a brooch of this age to be.

~ The micromosaic has been set into a malachite surround. Natural striations in the stone can be seen in the photos as rivulets of darker bands of green, a natural habit of the stone. The malachite setting is lightly beveled, so that the base is slightly wider than the top. I do believe this is malachite and not glass, as upon magnification I can detect no air bubbles.

~ This extraordinary artwork has been set into a fabulous crowned setting of 18 K solid gold. In an outer ring is as fine a sample of Etruscan beading I have ever had the pleasure to see. The Etruscan civilization flourished along the western coast of Italy during the period 500 BC to 300 BC. Among the arts perfected by these ancient peoples was a mastery of gold working and the arrangement of minute golden beads into beautiful, textured designs and patterns - a technique known as "granulation". As the Etruscan civilization faded, the secrets of granulated gold work, famed as "Etruscan beading", were lost. In the early 1800s an Italian jeweler, Pio Castellani, became entranced with the timeless beauty of Etruscan jewels. He resolved to rediscover the lost art of granulation. Although he never fully recreated the ancient Etruscan methods, he succeeded in creating jewels that captured the beauty and spirit of the ancient civilization. His efforts helped to spark the 19th c. jewelry style known as the Etruscan Revival.

~ The exactitude required by a master goldsmith to create this granulation is beyond belief! Each of the tiny beads of gold was painstakingly positioned by hand and then soldered into place. Keep in mind that the master goldsmith has to apply enough heat for soldering, while at the same time keeping the tiny bead from melting!  Imagine the extraordinary patience and craftsmanship required to create just this one lovely jewel!

~ While earlier Italian mosaics were made of square tesserae of stone, marble, terracotta and glass, a method of creating threads or strips of glass known as "smalti filati", in an increasing number of colors and shapes, was invented in the Vatican Mosaic workshop during the second half of the 18th century. This microscopic technique became a new art form, and the best workshops competed to produce ever more finely executed images composed of ever smaller tesserae - some containing as many as 1,400 tesserae per square inch.

~ This brooch depicts a popular, rural scene of "peasants" in their traditional costumes. The woman wears a brightly colored, red dress with blue bodice and a white apron that appears to have several  embroidered rows at the bottom. The artist has depicted every fold in its fabric with subtle shading. To see this artwork under magnification is to be mind boggled! She wears a necklace of 2 strands of beads.  She holds a basket, in which the mosaicist has depicted flowers with their lovely petals and even their stems! She wears her native headdress, and, though she is facing forward, her eyes are on the man whose shoulder she is gently touching. Just in her tiny face alone, I counted eleven different shades of color.

~ The man wears the short pants and stockings that were common at the turn of the 19th century. He holds a staff, and has a cape draped over his arm and left shoulder. In his lap, he cradles a tiny creature that looks like a lamb. His red vest makes a striking background for the whiteness of the lamb. Using the symbology of the Vatican, this could be a Christian reference to the "Sacrificial Lamb" or Lamb of God, wherein the red background represents the blood of Christ. Brooches of this type were produced in a workshop in the Vatican during the late 18th and early 19th centuries for sale to tourists making the Grand Tour.

~ The background includes a distant view of what I assume is Rome, with buildings on the horizon visible to both sides of the couple. The sky is a pale blue at the top of the scene, but the colors very gradually change to white, then to pale pink, suggesting an early morning scene. In the immediate background are trees, with flowering bushes in front. The couple appears to be at the edge of a path or cobbled roadway. I have never seen anything so extraordinary.

~ The pin stem appears to be original, with the tube hinge and "C" clasp common to the era. At a later point in time, a tube enclosure was soldered onto the "C" clasp to prevent loss. The pin stem rests securely inside of this tube, and opens with minor pressure. The length of the pin stem was filed to a shorter length at a later time. Pin stems were often shortened by heirs for safety and comfort.

~ This brooch has the Vatican hallmark on the side of the gold setting, that of the crossed keys, stamped into one of the gold "peaks" of the bezel setting. The mark is clear and readily identifiable, ascertaining its date and origin. It is an exquisite, museum quality piece and an extraordinary find. Its new owner no doubt will cherish it, so that it may be preserved for future generations.

c. 1780-1820

Price = $6,500.00