{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O156386"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156386/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW4232/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW4232/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BW4232","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BV4243","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BV4242","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BV4241","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BV4240","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/O156386/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O156386","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.467-2008","objectType":"Box","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":"Rectangular snuffbox with Roman mosaic showing the temple of the Sibyl at Tivoli.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"grey granite","id":"AAT11197"},{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"mosaic glass","id":"AAT260731"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"},{"text":"moulding","id":"AAT53134"},{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"},{"text":"micromosaic","id":"x42499"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved grey granite, silver gilt and mosaic.","categories":[{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Mosaic","id":"THES253095"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2008BW4232","2008BV4243","2008BV4242","2008BV4241","2008BV4240"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES410175"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"box","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1819-38","earliest":"1819-01-01","latest":"1838-12-31"},"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":"Width","value":"6.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"8.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Provenance: Collection: Richard Ogden, Ltd., London.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Rectangular snuffbox with Roman mosaic showing the temple of the Sibyl at Tivoli.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Gonzalez-Palacios, Alvar and Steffi Röttgen with essays by Steffi Röttgen, Claudia Przyborowski; essays and new catalogue material translated by Alla Theodora Hall. <u>The Art of Mosaics: Selections from the Gilbert Collection</u>. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1982. 224 p., ill. Cat. no. 51. ISBN 0875871097"},{"reference":{"text":"Avery, Charles, assisted by Arthur Emperatori. <i>Mosaics from the Gilbert Collection: summary catalogue</i>. London : H.M.S.O., 1975","id":"AUTH355029"},"details":"73","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.467-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"467","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"MM 82"},{"type":{"text":"LACMA","id":"THES57415"},"number":"M.77.1.42"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.233"},{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"MIN 73"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2018LC1494","2019LR0504","2019LT6500","2019LU1889"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-01","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-19","availableToBook":false}}