Alexander the Great
Metal
18k Gold
Gemstone(s)
Dimensions
3.63 inch high (including the bale)
Weight
28.84 grams
Special Notes
This is a one-of-a-kind production by Luigina Rech and Giorgo Damaskos exclusively for Athena Gaia.
Our mosaic depicts Alexander from the famous floor mosaic found at the House of the Faun in Pompeii (shown in the final two photos). The floor mosaic is typically dated between c. 120 and 100 B.C. and is thought to depict the battle of Issus. For more information about the original mosaic and the battle it depicts please see the wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Mosaic#Subject
Photo Notes:
Construction Photo #1:
This image shows the mosaic partially completed and gives an indication as to the method of construction. A photo of the intended design is gradually removed as the tesserae (the mosaic tiles) are individually placed.
Construction Photo #2:
The tesserae are "stored" on foam pads like a painters palette. Tesserae are tiny shards of glass sourced from the Orsini glass foundry in Venice Italy. Luigina traveled there to hand select the "base colors". She then melted & mixed these into colors that match the original in Pompeii.
Further calculations and research were done to accurately reproduce the colors as the original appeared 2,000 years ago (notice the cleaner white background).
Construction Photo #3:
Almost done and only one problem remained: Do you see that thing sticking out of Alexanders head? It's a spear being held by one of his soldiers and is in the original artwork, but it didn't make sense to us in this context.
We wanted to respect the original artists work but weren't sure what to do. So we consulted Maria Evangelatou, our resident art historian (and professor of that subject at UC). She said for contextual reasons it would be best to get rid of the spear.
Construction Photo #4:
The finished product!
For videos and a details about this piece and it's construction please refer to the following page: MicroMosaic: Athena Gaia Greek Jewelry
Also Shown (sold separately)
Al'Oro Kordoni Chain
Due to the handcrafted nature, dimensions and weight are approximate
