Presented for your consideration, an outstanding pair of antique 18K gold dangle earrings decorated with an exquisitely detailed micro mosaic depicting two doves with white flowers, designed in Etruscan revival style fashionable in the mid 19th Century. The wire earrings have been professionally acid tested as 18K gold (no visible hallmarks).
Please, refer to the pictures, they speak by themselves.
MEASURES: total length from the gold wire to the bottom of the piece containing the dove micro mosaic: 60mm. Width of the horizontal piece from which the dove and both arms are hanging: 21mm.
TOTAL WEIGHT: 12.76 grams
ESTIMATED AGE: Rome, circa 1860
GENERAL CONDITION: very good general condition excepting for the missing micro mosaic in one of the four (4) hanging arms, which has been fullfiled with an acrylic blue flower just for not letting it hollow. No teselae missing in any other part of the earrings. Please refer to the detailed pictures.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
(1)The term Grand Tour refers to 17th through 19th century custom of a trip by young rich people to Europe, especially to Italy.
(2)The pioneers of this wonderful art were both Greeks and Romans. Italians began creating micromosaics in the Renaissance and gained great popularity in the mid-19th century, when the center of production was the beautiful and immortal Rome.
The micromosaics were applied to different objects such as pieces of jewelry. Favorite scenes to stage include Roman landscapes, religious and mythological themes, flowers, animals, and exterior scenes or scenes inspired by works of pictorial art. The smaller mosaics come from works from the period between the end of the 18th century and the end of the 19th century. The beauty and quality of the micromosaic depended exclusively on the artistic skill of the craftsman as well as his inspiration and aesthetic criteria. Authentic works of art were created that are currently exhibited in museums or private collections of avid collectors whose fascination is passed down from generation to generation.