{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O158131"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O158131/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EW5885/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EW5885/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011EW5885","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/O158131/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O158131","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.968:2-2008","objectType":"Micromosaic","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":"Micromosaic plaque of a bird sitting on a cherry branch. Signed and dated on reverse.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Tomberli, Angelo","id":"A22513"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"hardstone","id":"x37572"}],"techniques":[{"text":"micromosaic","id":"x42499"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Micromosaic and wooden frame, lacquered, painted and gilded","categories":[{"text":"Plaques and plaquettes","id":"THES49031"},{"text":"Mosaic","id":"THES253095"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2011EW5885"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES333168"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES333168"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"frame","id":""}],[{"text":"picture","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1786","earliest":"1786-01-01","latest":"1786-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"LOAN:GILBERT.1075:1-2008","id":"O158132"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"LOAN:GILBERT.1075:2-2008","id":"O158132"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"20","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"20","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Presented by Lady Gilbert in 2001.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Micromosaic picture of bird on a cherry branch, Angelo Tomberli, Rome. Signed and dated., 1786.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.968:2-2008","LOAN:GILBERT.968:1-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"968","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"","id":""},"number":"MM331"},{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"MM 19"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","frame","picture"],"assets":["2019LU9379"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-01","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-26","availableToBook":false}}