Antique micromosaic with a view of the Forum Romanum in silver, around 1880

Sic transit gloria mundi! - Thus passes the glory of the world! What could remind us more of the greatness, the glory and the fall of the great powers and the great ideas than a visit to the Roman Forum in the heart of Rome? Among all the remains of that great civilization of antiquity, some columns stand out in particular: they are the remains of the temple of Vespasian and Titus, three columns about 15 meters high under a piece of beams, which seem to have defied the decay and the rigors of the times for almost 2000 years, unimpressed. To seem, mind you: for in fact we can admire the columns, as also shown in the fine micromosaic here, only since 1811. Before that they were almost completely buried by earth and rubble. It was only at the beginning of the new century that they were uncovered, restored and made visible again. On the left edge we continue to see the triumphal arch of Septimius Severus, erected in 203 AD, while on the left edge the columns of the temple of Saturn rise. A single column can be seen in the background. It was erected in 608 AD by the Byzantine emperor Phocas and is the last ancient monument to be added to the Forum. Our brooch was made in the years around 1880 and was certainly once a souvenir of a trip to the Eternal City. The brooch is very well preserved and came to us from Munich.

Estimate:£423.01

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