Unknown Maker, Italian

Micromosaic Brooch and Earrings
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Italian

Culture

Italian

Title

Micromosaic Brooch and Earrings

Year

ca. 1865-1870

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

gold

Dimensions

Length: 7 cm (2 3/4 inches) brooch

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Bequest of Martha B. Lisle

Object Number

67.269

Type

Articles

Jewelry from the Decorative Arts and Design Collection

The American and European jewelry collection at the RISD Museum, part of the Decorative Arts and Design Department, is made up of more than 800 works, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings from the medieval period to present day.

Exhibition History

European Galleries
Sep 02, 2017

Label copy

The Grand Tour-an educational and experiential venture taken by young European aristocrats in the 1700s and 1800s-provided ample opportunities for collecting. These earrings and brooch, featuring lively scarab beetles, are micromosaics and were produced for and purchased by travelers. Made of small pieces of glass, micromosaics in all sizes-from tabletops to jewelry-were prized for their colorful and intricate depictions.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Italian
Micromosaic Brooch and Earrings, ca. 1865-1870
Glass tesserae with gold
Length: 7 cm (2 3/4 inches) brooch
Bequest of Martha B. Lisle 67.269

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.