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Antique Grand Tour Micro Mosaic Jewelry Box by Cesare Roccheggiani, Rome c. 1875

About the Item

A highly attractive and rare floral Grand Tour micromosaic jewelry or trinket box made by Cesare Roccheggiani in Rome, Italy, c. 1875. This is a beautifully detailed micro-mosaic box. The panel in the lid depicts a lush bouquet of spring flowers, including roses, forget-me-nots, daffodils, buttercups and crocus, amongst others. These are described in brightly coloured stone micromosaic inlaid into a black surround, lending the piece wonderful contrast. The more common subjects for similar micro mosaic boxes are architectural views of Rome; floral examples such as this are much harder to find. The panel is mounted in a box gilded in 24 carat gold. Another distinctive feature is the granulated finish around the lid and to the underside of the box: it is most unusual and lends the piece a lovely texture. A hand-painted champlevé enamel frieze wraps around the central body of the gilt metal box, depicting scrolling turquoise vines blooming with red berries along with blue, green and yellow vine leaves. The interior is lined in the original silk and in very good original condition. The maker’s name ‘C. ROCCHEGGIANI ROMA’ is emblazoned in gold to the interior of the lid beneath the motif of a cross surmounted by a crown. The lining of both the lid and body are bordered with a ropetwist detail. The lid closes with hooked clasp, and the hinge is in good condition. Cesare Roccheggiani was one of the most successful mosaicists in the late 19th century in Rome. He probably worked in Michelangelo Barberi’s workshop, and was in all likelihood related to Lorenzo Roccheggiani, a late eighteenth-century master mosaicist at the Vatican whose work included the altarpiece, Crucifixion of St. Peter after Guido Reni, and Nicolo Roccheggiani who worked on the Achilles Shield tabletop commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte, and later gifted to Charles X of France, now in the collection of the Louvre. Cesare Roccheggiani opened his premises on Via Condotti in Rome in 1874, and ran a production workshop including mosaicists, goldsmiths and other craftsmen. He was renowned as a source for fine quality Grand Tour mosaics. His works were exhibited at the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia and the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition, and can be found in the Gilbert Collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum, as well as in the British Museum in London. A very similar (although less elaborate) example to the piece offered here can be found in the Allen Memorial Art Museum, object # 1904.1020.
  • Creator:
    Cesare Roccheggiani (Maker)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 2.37 in (6 cm)Width: 3.55 in (9 cm)Depth: 3.55 in (9 cm)
  • Style:
    Grand Tour (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1875
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. In very good original condition. Please see photos. Small dent to the underside, not visible when the box is sitting in its normal position, and some slight fraying to the silk to the interior, commensurate with its age.
  • Seller Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: CCL1931stDibs: LU9676244130972

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