Micromosaic Box with Monkey
Artist: Giacomo Raffaelli (Italian (Rome), 1753-1836)
Date: 1794
Dimensions:
rim diam: 3 in. (7.9 cm);
box H: 1 in. (2.54 cm)
Medium: opaque, cut, polychrome glass assembled on copper with tortoiseshell frame
Classification: Glass
Credit Line: Mr. and Mrs. George M. Jones, Jr. Fund
Object number: 2004.67
Label Text:Giacomo Raffaelli (Italian, 1743-1836) is credited with the invention of micromosaics. The micromosaic roundel decorates the lid of a snuffbox. Tiny pieces of glass called tesserae are cut from thin, blown glass rods and painstakingly assembled into a picture set into a resin-like layer adhered to a copper base. This mosaic is made up of about 3,900 tesserae per square inch!
The image of a monkey holding a cherry derives from a Sufi Arab tale. A monkey sees a cherry inside a clear glass bottle. It inserts its paw and grasps the cherry, but cannot pull its fisted paw back out of the bottle. The hunter who set this trap captures the greedy monkey because it will not abandon the fruit in its fist. The micromosaic depicts the captive monkey with a belt and metal ring around its waist, still grasping the cherry. A chained monkey was a popular symbol of humankind voluntarily shackled by sin. The subject is a subtle, perhaps satirical reminder to use the tempting content of the snuffbox (ground tobacco) in moderation.
The image of a monkey holding a cherry derives from a Sufi Arab tale. A monkey sees a cherry inside a clear glass bottle. It inserts its paw and grasps the cherry, but cannot pull its fisted paw back out of the bottle. The hunter who set this trap captures the greedy monkey because it will not abandon the fruit in its fist. The micromosaic depicts the captive monkey with a belt and metal ring around its waist, still grasping the cherry. A chained monkey was a popular symbol of humankind voluntarily shackled by sin. The subject is a subtle, perhaps satirical reminder to use the tempting content of the snuffbox (ground tobacco) in moderation.
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