Religious Cross In Roman Micro-mosaic – Grand Tour – Italy 19th Century

Religious Cross in Roman Micromosaic – Grand Tour – Italy 19th Century Italian Micromosaic Cross from the Grand Tour – Rome 19th Century Beautiful Italian micromosaic cross made using the smalti technique, composed of tiny tesserae of colored glass finely assembled to form an extremely precise and delicate design. This technique, developed mainly in Rome, Venice, and Florence, enjoyed great success at the end of the 18th century and throughout the 19th century. Mosaicists melted the glass to transform it into thin rods, then cut into tiny tesserae of 1 to 3 mm, assembled one by one using tweezers in a metal frame. These objects were highly prized by travelers on the Grand Tour, an initiatory journey undertaken by young European aristocrats and art lovers to discover the artistic treasures of Italy. The cross features a rich iconographic decoration: In the center: painting on porcelain. The Virgin and Child accompanied by Mary Magdalene and Anthony of Padua, a major theme in Christian iconography. Above: the lamb, symbol of Christ and sacrifice. To the left and right: the dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit, peace, and hope. Below: the anchor, symbol of faith and hope evoked in the Epistle to the Hebrews. The decoration is enriched with delicate colored flowers, characteristic of 19th-century Roman production. This type of cross was a precious souvenir brought back from Italy by travelers on the Grand Tour, at a time when photography did not yet exist. Dimensions: Height: 14 cm Width: 10 cm A refined piece illustrating the remarkable skill of Italian micromosaic workshops.