Art and Design
Fri, Jun 28, 2019 01:00AM EDT
Lot 57
19th c. Pietra Dura 'Doves of Pliny' Micromosaic
Sold for
$1,800
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $5,000 | $250 |
| $10,000 | $500 |
| $20,000 | $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $2,500 |
| $75,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
A large 19th c. Italian pietra dura micromosaic Grand Tour plaque depicting the "Doves of Pliny" (or "Capitoline Doves"). These doves are a popular mosaic subject, having been copied from the floor mosaic in Hadrian's Villa (ca. 2nd-3rd c.), and likely from Greek antiquity before that.?Thousands of glass tesserae tiles set in an oval black slate plaque, with a rectangular?malachite band. The plaque measures approximately 10.5 x 13.5 inches, in a frame measuring 16 x 19.5 inches. A popular tourist memento in Georgian and Victorian times, these Roman micromosaics are remnants of the seminal Grand Tour experience, when the young European elite traveled to gain courtly manners and skills. Glass micromosaics were greatly refined by Vatican craftsmen of the 18th century.
Very good condition. Some cracking to malachite band, but no loss is ?imminent. Not observed out of frame.