RARE c.1700s to Earliest 1800s Sand Size Tesserae Roman Ruins Micro Mosaic Plaque, Pyramid

Some time ago I bought out the drawers of an old jeweler’s workbench in Paris, and there were lots of gorgeous century-old hand carved Italian cameos and micro mosaics, all little works of art, and all passed down through generations of goldsmiths, jewelers. I love that, in France, many generations of a family stay in the family business, apprentice and eventually take it over, passing one generation to the next. This sale marked the closing, end of the line, and there were incredible treasures to be had. I only bought a few lots, and this is one. I’ve had them for a couple decades, myself. I’m nostalgic about such things. But it’s time to part with my own collections and I will offer each individually. Someone in Italy should buy them, have their goldsmith make up the mounts and offer them for the monstrously high prices they charge there for such Grand Tour souvenirs. It’s interesting, travelers would buy these uncounted, take them to French or English goldsmiths to create the mounts after they got back home. 

This one is very early 1800s, perhaps even 1700s, Georgian era sand-sized tesserae and rare, a unique Roman ruins scene The pyramid of Cestius (in Italian, Piramide di Caio Cestio or Piramide Cestia) is a Roman Era pyramid in Rome, Italy, near the Porta San Paolo and the Protestant Cemetery. It was built as a tomb for Gaius Cestius, a member of the Epulones religious corporation. A 30 mm x 24 mm but thin 3mm depth, adventuring or goldstone pristine plaque, no chips and no hairlines or damage. The tiniest glass tesserae, indicating very early work, there are a few missing at peak of smaller pyramid, area filled.  It is eady to be mounted or just enjoyed in display as I have done. The colorful glass tesserae are all in place and ground smooth as silk to the touch. No lifts. Full measurements are noted on the photos.