Grand Tour Pietra Dura Specimen Paperweight

This impressive paperweight was likely brought home by a wealthy traveler as a Grand Tour souvenir in the early 19th Century. It is made of black marble and displays a variety of polished stone specimens, in a technique known as ‘Pietra Dura’, in which precisely fitted, highly polished coloured minerals are used to create images. This technique was mostly deployed in Italy and India. The design of this paperweight clearly points to it being of Italian origin. 

Reference collections of different ancient marbles were popular souvenirs for visitors to Italy in the 18th and 19th centuries. These would often contain specimens collected from a specific region, with the area around Rome being a popular searching ground, although most specimen collections were mostly built around colour and would contain pretty mineral specimens from various regions. 

A similar reference plaque can be found in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, inventory number O1737791. 
 

General Information

Dimensions: 15 cm x 10 cm x 1.2 cm. 

Age: 19th Century, circa 1820s. 

Condition: In antique condition with some signs of wear, consistent with its age. The rim displays some knicks and nibbles, which can be seen in the pictures. 

Please note that this shop is based in the EU. Although antiques are exempt from taxes in most countries, buyers from outside the EU might be subject to import taxes.