Table Top with Micromosaic Views of Rome and the U.S. Centennial International Exposition
Artist
Unknown
Dateca. 1876
MediumGlass micromosaic and marble
Dimensions1/2 × 22 3/4 in. (1.3 × 57.8 cm)
ClassificationsDecorative arts
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number2017.6
On View
On viewLabel TextTable Top with Micromosaic Views of Rome and the U.S. Centennial International Exposition, ca. 1876 Italian (Rome) Glass micromosaic and marble In the late 1700s workshops in Rome began making exquisitely detailed pictures using tiny pieces of glass. Travelers to Italy purchased jewelry, plaques, and marble tables decorated with these micromosaic vignettes, often depicting famous Grand Tour sites like the Pantheon and Colosseum. This unusual example breaks tradition by featuring at its center not St. Peter’s Basilica, but Memorial Hall, the art gallery pavilion at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. Serving as a transatlantic advertisement for fine Italian craftsmanship, it also suggests that America’s arts and industries, as displayed at the expo, are inheriting the mantle of ancient and Renaissance cultural genius. Museum purchase 2017.6
