Mastery of Design: The Gilbert Dog Brooch, 1800

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This micromosaic brooch was made in Rome about 1800. The frame, however, is of a later creation—maybe 1840—and was made in England. This is not unusual. Micromosaics were the perfect souvenir for the traveler to take home from Rome as a symbol of the arts of Italy. These pieces were often purchased unframed and brought to other countries where they were either set into a piece of furniture or decorative box, or as we see here, turned into a piece of jewelry.

The scene of two dogs would have been very popular at the time of purchase. Such scenes symbolized domestic fidelity and made perfect gifts to a spouse or romantic partner.