THE IMAGE of the dove as a peace-bringer is rooted in antiquity. The symbolism resonated with Grand Tour travelers steeped in Classical ideas and post-Napoleonic nostalgia. The educated traveling elite would have picked up a souvenir like this dove with flowers in its talons at one of the micromosaic workshops near the Vatican in the 19th century.
MATERIALS: 18k gold (tests), black glass, multicolor glass tesserae
AGE: c. 1880
CONDITION: Very good
SIZE: 8, can be resized; 14.5mm x 10.5mm head, 2.1mm shank