Antique Micromosaic in 18K Rococo Brooch hallmarked by the Vatican Workshop
Antique micromosaic bouquet of flowers is the centerpiece of the elaborate rococo style 18K brooch. Hallmarked in 3 places by the Vatican Mosaic Workshop (also called Studio); on the verso, the brooch and the pinstem. The brooch, in good condition, measures 2.25 inches, the mark of the Vatican Workshop is a key and tiara.
Following is a brief history as to why micromosaic art was important to the Catholic Church.
From its initial conception at approximately 319 AD, the Church sought to locate St. Peter's Basilica at the site of the apostle's martyrdom. On its face such a decision would seem rational, if not appropriate.
St. Peter however was executed in a marshy area on a side of the Tiber in the already quite humid city of Rome. Housed in the early St. Peters with its exposure for so many centuries of very high humidity most of the Basilica's artwork was beyond the help of the rudimentary preservation and restoration of the period. By about 1750 to which the "new" St. Peters dates it had therefore lost many oil and watercolor paintings as well as wood, bone, and tortoise sculptures, frames and other artifacts.
What could the Church do? Enter the "new" age of Roman micromosaics in which tiny pieces of colored stone or glass when set with grout would prove to be impervious to the debilitating effects of humidity.
By the early 1700's the Church would begin the process of establishing a school of instruction in mosaics. It would sponsor research and experimentation in developing especially glass tesserae and would encourage students to select damaged oils, paintings or watercolors as appropriate subjects for duplicative efforts in micromosaics.
Gifted instructors and successful students both frequently had their work promulgated by the Church. And it was from this pool of recently praised practitioners that fame, and special commissions paralleled each other.
This finely executed micromosaic displays wonderful detail, the elaborate 18K gold brooch is well made exhibiting fine gold rope and bead work done by hand.
Rarely are pieces found today that bear the Vatican Mosaic Workshop hallmarked in 3 different places indicating that the entire piece - the micromosaic and the brooch were made there.