A rare and exceptional Victorian pendant in 18ct gold, c.1880, combining two of the most distinguished decorative traditions of the 19th century: the Egyptian Revival and the art of micro mosaic. The pendant depicts a Pharaoh at its centre, rendered in micro mosaic — the painstaking technique in which minute tesserae of glass, sometimes no larger than a pinhead, are assembled to create pictorial scenes of extraordinary precision and colour. Micro mosaic was developed in Rome in the late 18th century and became closely associated with the Grand Tour, when wealthy travellers brought home micro mosaic panels and jewels as the most refined of Italian souvenirs. Its application here to an Egyptian Revival subject — itself a product of the European fascination with ancient Egypt that followed Napoleon's campaign of 1798 — makes this a piece that sits at the intersection of two of the great cultural currents of the Victorian age. The pendant is constructed in three articulated sections that move where they join, giving it a fluid, dynamic quality when worn. Unhallmarked; tests as 18ct yellow gold. 7 × 2.5cm; weight 11.5g.

The Details

• Circa: 1880
• Weight: 11.5g
• Dimensions: 7 × 2.5cm
• Hallmarks: Unhallmarked; tests as 18ct yellow gold
• Technique: Micro mosaic (glass tesserae)
• Construction: Three articulated sections
• Subject: Egyptian Pharaoh