Italian Roman Micro Mosaic Plaquette Contained in its Original Red Morocco

Period: 1700-1800

Origin: Italy

Medium: Metal, Leather, Mosaic

Literature: Rome was the fulcrum of the 18th century Grand Tour itinerary and it was the British who arrived in the largest numbers. It had become essential for a gentleman with ambitions to play a leading role in the society of the day to visit Italy on his personal grand tour and to try to bring home important antiquities and works of art. Many were disappointed as the latest finds were often already in the hands of the Vatican or destined for other prestigious collections, and so in order to satisfy this demand for a piece of Italian history, the artists and craftsmen began to produce ‘souvenirs’. These were often miniature copies of the major monuments and in time came to be considered as works of art in their own right. Roman micro mosaics were very popular with the artists, aristocrats and literati ‘tourists’ providing them with snapshots of the unattainable.