Antique Italian micromosaic plaque depicting the Capitoline Doves

GBP 12,000.00

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Object Description

This fine, circular micromosaic plaque shows four doves drinking water from a golden bowl, upon which they perch. The Classical design for the mosaic is taken from one found in the Roman Emperor Hadrian’s villa in the 2nd Century AD. Hadrian’s mosaic, which was on the floor as is traditional, was probably based on a design by Sosus of Pergamon, a Greek master artist. Known as the Capitoline Doves, the design is sometimes referred to as the Doves of Pliny due to Pliny the Elder referring to its description in his Natural History work of 77 AD. Along with a revived interest in the Classical, this image became a popular subject for micromosaics in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Object Details

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