{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O156385"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156385/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW4243/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW4243/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BW4243","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4308","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4307","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4275","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O156385/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O156385","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.473:1, 2-2008","objectType":"Bonbonniere","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Micromosaics have their roots in the larger mosaics of ancient Rome used to decorate their walls and floors. The first micromosaics were created in the 18th century, but it was not until Arthur Gilbert himself became interested in collecting them and invented the term 'micromosaics' that they became known as such. The tesserae are minute pieces cut from thin pieces of glass known as smalti filati, and some of the finest micomosaics can consist of as many as 5,000 tesserae per square inch (ca. 3 by 3cm). By the late 18th century Rome had become central to the production of micromosaics and sold them as souvenirs to wealthy foreigners visiting the city. From small elegant snuffboxes to large monumental tabletops, micromosaics could be used to decorate objects of all shapes and sizes. They could even be made to resemble full-sized canvas paintings, and indeed Arthur Gilbert himself mistook his very first micromosaic for a painting. When he brought it home to show his wife, he had to convince her that it was not in fact a cracked painting, as she supposed, but a mosaic.\r\n\r\nSir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.","physicalDescription":"Circular gold snuffbox, the cover with a round micromosaic depicting a brown and white dog seated on a grassy patch. There is a low ground line under a flat black background.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"mosaic glass","id":"AAT260731"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[{"text":"micromosaic","id":"x42499"},{"text":"raising","id":"AAT237068"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Micromosaic, gold","categories":[{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Mosaic","id":"THES253095"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2008BW4243","2008BW4308","2008BW4307","2008BW4275"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"72","id":"THES49722"},"free":"","case":"CA004","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"bonbonniere","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"France","id":"x28849"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1800","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1800-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1810","earliest":"1810-01-01","latest":"1810-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"1.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured 26/04/24 IW","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Provenance: M. Hakim, 1971.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Circular bonbonnière with dog, mosaic: Rome, 1810.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Avery, Charles, assisted by Arthur Emperatori. <u>Mosaics from the Gilbert Collection: summary catalogue</u>. Exhibition catalogue Victoria & Albert Museum. London: H.M.S.O. 1975, no. 70."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Gabriel, Jeanette Hanisee with contributions by Anna Maria Massinelli and essays by Judy Rudoe and Massimo Alfieri. <u>Micromosaics: The Gilbert Collection</u>. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd. in association with The Gilbert Collection, 2000. 310 p., ill. Cat. no. 112, p. 181. ISBN 0856675113."}],"production":"The mosaic Rome, circa 1800; the box probably French, circa 1810","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"dog","id":"AAT24149"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.473:1-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"473","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"MM 76A"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.229"},{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"MIN 73"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2025PE8135"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-18","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-19","availableToBook":false}}