20180M-001

Byzantine mosaic This unique piece in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel draws inspiration from the famous mosaics of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, built in Ravenna in the fifth century. Renowned worldwide, this monument marks the transition between paleochristian art and Byzantine art. The partitions, which reproduce the patterns of the tiny tesserae, called for about 33.4 m of gold wire (~84.29 g). To perfect this illusion of a “micro-mosaic” the enameller worked with a palette of opaque, transparent and semi-transparent enamels in 20 colors. Miniature painting on enamel lends finesse to the composition while enriching the vibrancy of the colors. The brilliance of gold is conjured by silver leaf embedded beneath translucent enamel, according to the technique of paillonné enameling. Each enameled plate underwent 10 firings at a temperature of 750°C. An hour circle adorned with a Clous de Paris or hobnail pattern presents applied Arabic numerals in blue lacquer and leaf-shaped hands in gilt edged with circular graining. Its center takes up a star-studded motif found on the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. Silver spangles, or paillons, embedded beneath the translucent enamel, give this decor its golden sheen. This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.