Micromosaic

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Micromosaic brooch set in black glass, c. 1875, of the Pantheon
Byzantine mosaic icon, 45 cm high, 13th century.

Micromosaics (or micro mosaics, micro-mosaics) are a special form of

tesserae) of glass, or in later Italian pieces an enamel-like material, to make small figurative images.[1] Surviving ancient Roman mosaics include some very finely worked panels using very small tesserae, especially from Pompeii, but only from Byzantine art are there mosaic icons in micromosaic with tesserae as small as the best from the Modern period. Byzantine examples, which are very rare, were religious icons
. They are usually framed and treated like portable paintings.

Byzantine survivals

Byzantine micromosaics, usually all attributed to

Gregory the Great in the 6th century, but is now dated to around 1300 in Constantinople.[3]

There was a new influx of icons and Greeks to Italy after 1453. Prominent collectors included

Saint Peter's, Rome, and lent Greek manuscripts to Francesco d'Este to be copied; d'Este many have had some of Paul II's icons.[4]

History

From the

Early Christian wall-mosaics.[7] It was even imitated by porcelain painters, who painted faint lines across their work to suggest the edges of tesserae.[8]

A distinctive feature of micromosaics is that the tesserae are usually oblong rather than square.[9] The best work can achieve 3,000 to 5,000 tesserae per square inch. The best collections are in the Hermitage Museum and the Gilbert Collection in London. Asia has produced a number of contemporary examples using modern precision machinery to produce the diminutive elements.

Micromosaic jewelry and souvenirs

A Micromosaic finger ring from around 1800

Wearing micromosaic jewelry became popular during the Grand Tour period (17th–19th century). Members of rich European families would travel around Europe, taking in the sights and cultures of different countries. Italy was a very popular tourist spot as it had a long and prestigious history in arts and culture — a favourite subject in aristocratic circles. It was also a famous glass producer, and canny Italian craftsmen quickly turned their glass-making skills to making stunning miniature micromosaic pictures for their rich visitors.[citation needed]

Mosaic work jewellery of this period usually depicted famous Italian landmarks such as the Colosseum and St. Peter's Basilica, though occasionally Roman mythology was a subject too. The richest tourists would commission their own mosaics, with animals and famous works of art being favourite subjects. The small size of the micromosaic was appealing; micromosaics could be worn on the Grand Tourists' continuing journey, or sent back home to loved ones as a kind of fore-runner to modern postcards.[citation needed]

Many micromosaics, rather than being sold in Italy, were exported to jewelers in London and Paris to be set into larger pieces.[10]

Micromosaic jewelry fell out of fashion in the 1870s.[10]

Notes

  1. ^ As the other notes show, "micromosaic" is used by the British Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as the leading authorities Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel & Diana Scarisbrick.
  2. ISBN 9781409420385
    , 1409420388
  3. ^ Nagel and Wood, 327-328
  4. ^ Nagel and Wood, 106-107
  5. ^ M., Chantal (5 May 2015). "Discover the World of Micro Mosaics". Mozaico. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  6. ISBN 978-4-7700-2540-1. Google books
  7. ^ British Museum Micromosaic brooch with the Lamb of God, made by the firm of Castellani, c. 1860
  8. ^ MMA See 4th para of "Themes"
  9. ^ Gabriel, Jeanette Hanisee (2015). "What Are Micromosaics". Micro-Mosaic.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  10. ^
    ISBN 0500202877
    .
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Further reading

External links
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