Victorian Micro Mosaic Angel or Cupid Pendant

I love the serene expression on the face of the little angel, perhaps meant to represent Cupid, in this Victorian micro-mosaic pendant; set against a field of clear sky blue, his golden curls and delicately shaded wings are composed of the tiniest little tiles. Circa 1875, the portrait is set in an 18k yellow gold frame, with Etruscan Revival filigree details and red and blue mosaic patterns on the sides.

Details: Measuring approximately 7/8” in diameter with a 1/4" high dome on the mosaic side, and slightly concave back. We believe this was likely a collar button or brooch originally, converted at some point to a pendant. Not marked for gold content, the front XRF tests to 18k, the back to 16k. 

Condition: In excellent antique condition, with a light patina to the metal and some slight wear along the edges of the mounting, only seen on the back. The tiles are complete, no obvious missing pieces.

History: Mosaics, fashioned of small pieces of glass or hardstone called tesserae, have been produced for literally thousands of years, with earliest examples attributed to the Ancient Greeks. Micro-mosaics were developed in the late 18th century by the Italian craftsman Giacomo Raffaelli to cater to the "Grand Tour" crowd; in the 18th and 19th century a tour of archeological and historial sites throughout Europe was considered an essential part of an upper-class person's education, and this rite of passage became known as the "Grand Tour".

As these tiny treasures grew in popularity craftsmen in Rome teamed with jewelers in Florence to produce beautifully designed and sometimes impossibly small-scale mosiac art to set in decorative objects and jewels for the elite to purchase as a remembrance of their trip.