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Lot Essay
This exhuberant centre table with its extravagant naturalistically cast stand was the ultimate grand tour souvenir. The micro-mosaic top would have been bought seperately in Rome, after which the owner would look for a fitting stand.
The Micromosaic top.
The technique of micro mosaic was invented by Giacomo Raffaelli in Rome in the late 18th century. The individual pieces were cut from strands of coloured glass or smalti fileti; the delicacy of these pieces of glass enabled the artist to create mosaics to painterly effect. Whilst Raffaelli made original compositions - typically gold finches, butterflies and antique vases on a white background, other artisans following in his footsteps often chose much more recogniseable images catering to the demand of the Grand tour. Many of these images drew inspiration on Roman mosaic floors of antiquity. The present composition is a combination of designs: the doves derive from a floor mosaic in the Capitoline museum known as the Doves of Pliny, whereas the flower basket is inspired on a floor mosaic in the Pio Clementine Museum of the Vatican. There is a tabletop with this design in the Gilbert Collection, cf. J. Hanissee Gabriel, The Gilbert Collection, Micromosaics London, 2000, p.133, no. 71.
The Stand.
It is unclear where the stand originated, but the tortoise feet and the playfull naturalistic tree with entwining serpent - probably emblematic of the original sin - point towards the possibility of an Italian provenance. Several versions of the present stand have come up at auction over the past years, none with a micromosaic stand.
One with a pietre dure top, catalogued as Napoleon III, was sold, Sotheby's Paris, 5 december 2001, lot 470 (FF174,600)
Another with no attribution, dated to the middle of the 19thc century, was sold Christie's Monaco, 10-11 December 1999, (FF397,500)
Micro-mosaic table tops with this design were sold at Sotheby's Monaco 18 june 1999, lot 164, (FF287,500)
Another with ebonised neo renaissance table Christie's London, 1 October 2002, lot 364 (GBP.29,875)
The Micromosaic top.
The technique of micro mosaic was invented by Giacomo Raffaelli in Rome in the late 18th century. The individual pieces were cut from strands of coloured glass or smalti fileti; the delicacy of these pieces of glass enabled the artist to create mosaics to painterly effect. Whilst Raffaelli made original compositions - typically gold finches, butterflies and antique vases on a white background, other artisans following in his footsteps often chose much more recogniseable images catering to the demand of the Grand tour. Many of these images drew inspiration on Roman mosaic floors of antiquity. The present composition is a combination of designs: the doves derive from a floor mosaic in the Capitoline museum known as the Doves of Pliny, whereas the flower basket is inspired on a floor mosaic in the Pio Clementine Museum of the Vatican. There is a tabletop with this design in the Gilbert Collection, cf. J. Hanissee Gabriel, The Gilbert Collection, Micromosaics London, 2000, p.133, no. 71.
The Stand.
It is unclear where the stand originated, but the tortoise feet and the playfull naturalistic tree with entwining serpent - probably emblematic of the original sin - point towards the possibility of an Italian provenance. Several versions of the present stand have come up at auction over the past years, none with a micromosaic stand.
One with a pietre dure top, catalogued as Napoleon III, was sold, Sotheby's Paris, 5 december 2001, lot 470 (FF174,600)
Another with no attribution, dated to the middle of the 19thc century, was sold Christie's Monaco, 10-11 December 1999, (FF397,500)
Micro-mosaic table tops with this design were sold at Sotheby's Monaco 18 june 1999, lot 164, (FF287,500)
Another with ebonised neo renaissance table Christie's London, 1 October 2002, lot 364 (GBP.29,875)