Gioacchino Barberi Italian, 1783-1857 "Albanian dancer", a framed micromosaic plaque Rome, circa 1815-1820

set within its original leather box with original paper label incribed JOACHIM BARBERI / Mosaique / Place d’Espagne no. 99 / Rome.

Subastas, "Micromosaicos Pequeños Tesoros a subasta", XXI, June 2009, p. 64. illustrated

Known primarily for his superb miniatures of animals, Gioacchino Barberi has been acknowledged as one of the greatest mosaic masters since the discovery of his 1833 tabletop of a battle scene made for the Imperial Court of Nicholas I that sold in 2011 for almost two million dollars. Documents from the Russian State Archives reveal he was also paid for other mosaics and given a ring worth 2,400 rubles by the Emperor (Sotheby’s New York, 12 April, 2011, lot 254). Barberi’s international sophistication is reflected in this mosaic of a woman in magnificent Albanian dress, perhaps inspired by Lord Byron who, after visiting the Ottoman-ruled region had his portrait painted in Albanian costume in 1813 (British Embassy, Athens).

Sotheby's is grateful to Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel for her extensive research on this important mircromosaic plaque.

The present lot will be published in 'Micromosaics: Private Collections' by Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel to be published in 2016.