We're looking at the Pyramid of Cestius, a 1st-century BC Roman tomb that stands near the Protestant Cemetery (Cimitero Acattolico) in Rome. It’s a popular subject in micromosaics, and many travelers on the Grand Tour brought back jewelry or plaques featuring it. English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley died in 1822 and was buried in that very cemetery, not far from the pyramid. Although Shelley’s actual grave doesn’t lie inside the pyramid, the monument looms dramatically nearby, and became symbolically entwined with his death and legacy.
Victorian travelers—especially poetry lovers—would have been moved by the romantic imagery: a young genius, drowned at sea, buried in Rome near a mysterious ancient pyramid. A micromosaic featuring that view was likely marketed as a memento of Shelley’s final resting place.
MATERIALS: 18k gold (tests), glass tesserae
AGE: c. 1860
CONDITION: Very good - small chip on the blue glass frame
SIZE: 2" x 1 7/8"