A stunning example of this art, shaded marble mosaic in thick black marble or slate and mounts of heavy gilt bronze. This casket has separate mounted and raised plaques in florals, 5 in all - 4 ovals around the casket and a large rectangular plaque raised in mount on the box's top. It must weigh 5 lbs, and has been kept as the work of art it truly is, treasured and displayed for some 170 or so years now, suffering very little for its years. Even that beautiful original blue silk velvet interior remains as new, nap intact. Raised on bun feet, it has such an elegance of design. when I am in Italy, I visit several antiques stores and know one like this will be more than double our price. We have also sold numerous of our micro mosaic and pieta dura antiques to them through the years. Lots of photos to show it off, and full measurements noted on the photos.
Very good to excellent condition throughout. I can find only one spot to note as flaw, and it's the left edge of the rectangular top mosaic plaque, where I can see a faint hairline arching the 2 corners. As you might know, there are fine saw lines entering from sides as the shaded marble pieces are prepared and set into the thick plaque of black marble or slate. Those are not flaws. The only 2 faint hairlines I see that make no sense in the creation of the mosaics are those I have put a white 'x' to for your inspection. They do not detract from this magnificent chest.
