{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O157746"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O157746/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW3418/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW3418/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BW3418","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW3423","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/O157746/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O157746","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.136:1, 2-2008","objectType":"Necklace","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Mosaic panels could be bought unmounted and then set as jewellery once the traveller returned home. The lack of a unifying theme in this necklace, with its Roman ruins, floral bouquets and dogs, suggests that it was perhaps not assembled by a Roman jeweller, but was a more individual and personal selection.\r\n\r\nThe term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration work today. \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":"The necklace consists of twelve oval micromosaics set in ovals of red purpurine glass and linked by double festoon gold chains. The necklace supports a pendant cross of five similar but smaller micromosaics. The micromosaics illustrate alternating floral bouquets and Roman ruins and two show reclining dogs. The central mosaic of the pendant cross depicts a ruin, the other four show floral bouquets.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"glass","id":"AAT10797"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"","id":""}],"techniques":[{"text":"micromosaic","id":"x42499"},{"text":"","id":""}],"materialsAndTechniques":"glass micromosaic, gold, purpurine glass","categories":[],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2008BW3418","2008BW3423"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES410173"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"031","id":"THES404909"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"necklace","id":""}],[{"text":"case","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1820","earliest":"1820-01-01","latest":"1820-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"ca."}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"49","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"These relate to the necklace; the pendant is 4.5  x 4.1 cm","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Provenance: Shrubsole, London, 1969.","historicalContext":"Tourists to Rome would buy micromosaic plaques as a set or individually and have them made up into jewellery on their return home. This explains the unusual combination of dogs, flowers and ruins which decorate this necklace, and are at odds with the Christian symbolism of  the pendant cross.","briefDescription":"Necklace with pendant cross, micromosaic, gold and purpurine glass, Rome, ca.1820.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Roman ruins","id":"x37522"},{"text":"bouquets","id":"x40629"},{"text":"dogs","id":"AAT24149"},{"text":"","id":""}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"5. Necklace with pendant cross\nAbout 1820\n\nMircomosaic panels were often bought unmounted and then set as jewellery once the traveller returned home. The variety of themes in this necklace - floral bouquets, reclining dogs and Roman ruins - suggest that it was not assembled by a Roman jeweller, but as bespoke personal keepsake.\n\nRome, Italy\nGold, purpurine glass and glass micromosaic\nMuseum no. LOAN:GILBERT.136-2008","date":{"text":"2024","earliest":"2024-01-01","latest":"2024-12-31"}},{"text":"6. Necklace with cross, about 1820\r\n\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.136:1-2008","date":{"text":"16/11/2016","earliest":"2016-11-16","latest":"2016-11-16"}},{"text":"Necklace with cross\r\nAbout 1820\r\n\r\nMosaic panels could be bought unmounted and then set as jewellery once the traveller returned home. The lack of a unifying theme in this necklace – with its Roman ruins, dogs and bouquets of flowers – suggests that it was perhaps not assembled by a Roman jeweller, but was a more individual and personal selection.\r\n\r\nRome, Italy\r\nMicromosaic set in red glass, and gold\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.136-2008","date":{"text":"2009","earliest":"2009-01-01","latest":"2009-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.136:1-2008","LOAN:GILBERT.136:2-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"136","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","necklace","case"],"assets":["2018LC0297","2019LM9590","2019LR4822","2019LT5063","2019LU1667","2019LT9473","2023NN4550","2023NN4551"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-26","availableToBook":false}}