Sa'id Pasha's Palace, Mex (Alexandria)

Mohamed Sa'id Pasha was Egypt's Viceroy from 1854 until his death in 1863. He was educated in Paris and he began the development of the Suez Canal. In addition to the Qasr al Nil, his grand palace in Cairo, Sa'id Pasha built a palace on the old (or west) Alexandria harbor at Mex  (or Meks, Maks, or Al-Maqs). Unlike Sa'id's other Alexandrian palace at Gabari, the one at Mex was never finished.

The floor and walls of the palace's saloon were decorated with Salviati mosaics, which were ordered in 1860 at the cost of about 250,000 francs. Unfortunately, by 1878 the palace was a "bulbous ruin".

The abandoned palace compound at Mex, 1870.

Illustration of the entry gate at Mex palace.

Map of Alexandria from 1908. Meks is on the lower left.

Sources:
Salviati, Antonio. On Mosaics (generally). Leeds, 1865. 42.
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 132.
Salviati, Antonio. Les manufactures Salviati & Cie à Venise et Murano. Mosaïques, verres Paris, 1867. 15.
Rogers, Edward Thomas. "The Land of Egypt." The Art Journal. London: D. Appleton & Company. 5. 1879. 68-70. 
Lane-Poole, Stanley. Social Life in Egypt: A Description of a Country and Its People. 5. New York: P.F. Collier, 1884. 117-120.
Allatson, Wendy. Egypt.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. 546.
Burton, Richard Francis. The gold-mines of Midian and the ruined Midianite cities. London: C. Kegan Paul & Co. 1878. 4.
Wikipedia 
usbpanasonic's flickr Photostream

St. George Church, Clyst St. George

The ancient church was rebuilt in 1854-55, but it was gutted by air raid fire in 1940. It was rebuilt again in 1952.

Sometime between September 1862 and October 1863, Salviati decorated the church's western wall with mosaics of angels with widespread wings supporting scrolls of Scripture on the request of the same Reverend Ellacombe who supervised the 1850s restorations. Unfortunately, the mosaics did not seem to have survived the World War II damage.

Sources:
Salviati, Antonio. On Mosaics (generally). Leeds, 1865. 46.
Wikipedia
Cherry, Bridget and Nikolaus Pevsner. Devon. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991.  271.
Ellacombe, Henry Thomas. The History and Antiquities of the Parish of Clyst St. George Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society, September 22, 1862. 70.
Robin Drayton on Geograph
Robert Slack's flickr Photostream

Portraits II

Singapore's Peranakan Museum holds the two Salviati mosaic portraits made for local businessman Tan Soo Bin.

Previously, the portraits apparently were hung in the family's home Panglima Prang that was built before 1860 and demolished in 1982.

The National Museum of Bavaria purchased Salviati's mosaic portrait reproductions of Hagia Sophia's 10th century depictions of Justinian and Theodora (which themselves are copies of those from the 6th century in Ravenna) at the 1873 Vienna Universal Exposition.

Original mosaics of Justinian and Theodora from Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (not Salviati - illustration only)

Salviati and Burke exhibited a mosaic portrait of Titian, as well as the head of Christ after Guido Reni at the fall 1884 meeting of the Architectural Association in London.

Reproduction of Thorn-crowned Christ after Guido Reni by A. Orsoni of Venice (not Salviati - illustration only)

Sources:
"Architectural Association." The Building News and Engineering Journal. October 17, 1884. 612.
Artistic Mosaic Catalog of Works 
Reports on the Vienna Universal Exhibition of 1873. 3. H.M. Stationery Office, 1874.  16.
The Hagia Sophia: A Tribute to Justinian. pdf.
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 119.
Cylee's flickr Photostream
Liza Rahmat's flickr Photostream
Wright, Arnold and H.A. Cartwright, eds. Twentieth Century Impressions of British Malaya. London: Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Co., Ltd, 1908. 631-32.
Ming Blue. "A Great House of the Past." Featherglass. 2011.
Singapore Infopedia

National Museum of Scotland

A mosaic reredos of The Last Supper, as well as a copy of a 9th century mosaic featuring the portrait of a saint were purchased by the museum - known at the time as the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art - at the 1873 Vienna Universal Exposition.

The mosaic is almost identical to the one made by Salviati in 1875 for the reredos in St. Andrew's Church, Earl's Colne.


Sources:
Reports on the Vienna Universal Exhibition of 1873. 3. H.M. Stationery Office, 1874.189.
PeterEdin's flickr Photostream
David Dorren's flickr Photostream
Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.'s flickr Photostream

Orvieto Cathedral

The building of this Roman Catholic cathedral in northern Italy started in the 13th century. Maitani's Tuscan Gothic facade recalls the cathedrals at both Siena and Florence. Cesare Nebbia designed the original mosaics from 1350-90.

Just like with St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Salviati's craftsmen also restored the mosaics on the upper part of this cathedral's facade sometime before 1883.

The Coronation of the Virgin on the topmost gable.

Sources:
Art Notes. NY Times. February 4, 1883.
Wikipedia
Adonovan0 on Wikimedia Commons
Georges Jansoone on Wikimedia Commons
fortherock on Wikimedia Commons

Neuer Dom, Linz

The new cathedral also known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic church built 1862-1924 after designs by Vincenz Statz.

Salviati decorated the apse with 24 mosaic figures.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Saint Leopold-Blatt. Volumes 1-3. 1887-89. 38.
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 122.
Pierre Bona on Wikimedia Commons
Linz Presse
Jan Lefers' flickr Photostream

St. Mary Magdalene Church, Altofts

This church was built by architects Richard Life Adams and John Kelly of Leeds between 1873-90. It was consecrated in 1878, by which time the reredos was also completed.

The Caen stone reredos was carved by Leeds sculptor Canova Throp. The mosaic embellishment was made by Salviati after Pietro Perugino's 15th century fresco in Florence's cloister of Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi.

Perugino's "Crucifixion" depicts two additional figures: St. Bernard on the left in white and St. Benedict on the right in blue.

Salviati's interpretation for the mosaic reredos.

The Virgin Mary is on the left panel.

Mary Magdalene is seen praying at Christ's feet.

St. John the Baptist is on the right.

Sources:
Treasures Revealed in Wakefield 2010. 18.
Pevsner, Nikolaus. Yorkshire: The West Riding. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001. 80.
"New Church of St. Mary Magdalene." The British Architect: A Journal of Architecture. Vol. 10. Nov 1878. 185.
JThomas on Geograph
Museums in Florence
Photographs of the reredos were kindly provided by the Church Warden of St. Mary Magdalene's, Altofts

All Saints Church, Lewes

This church has been in existence since at least 1148. With the exception of the tower, it was all demolished and rebuilt in 1805-07 by architect Amon Wilds (the elder). The sanctuary was modified and further extended in 1881-83 by William Basset-Smith and E.J. Munt.

Salviati reredos adorned the space behind the altar, which is now a small hallway. The reredos are presumed to still exist behind mirrors affixed to the walls.

The church was made redundant in 1975 and it is now an arts and crafts community center.

Sources:
Houghton, John. All Saints, Friar's Walk, Lewes. All Saints Arts and Youth Centre, 1991.
The Voice of Hassocks on Wikipedia

Stanford Memorial Church

Jane Stanford built this church as a memorial to her husband Leland Stanford on the campus of the university that they had founded. The Romanesque building was designed by architect Charles A. Coolige in 1898 and dedicated in 1903.

The original church facade in 1903 before the earthquake.

The Stanfords traveled extensively in Europe and they brought their love of art and architecture back to California, where Mrs. Stanford incorporated a Byzantine style into the decorations of the church. Antonio Paoletti created original watercolor paintings upon which Salviati - under the direction of Maurizio Camerino - made the mosaic decorations for both the interior and exterior. Paoletti previously designed the scenes for the Stations of the Cross at the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in New York, which Salviati also made into mosaics.

The mosaic work on the Stanford Memorial Church began in 1900, took five years to complete, and cost $97,000. Jane Stanford was heavily involved in approving the designs and Salviati mosaicist Lorenzo Zampato supervised the in-studio manufacture in Venice, as well as the installation in California.

Unfortunately, the church was subsequently damaged in two earthquakes - first in 1906 and then later in 1989.

Exterior damage caused by the 1906 earthquake.

Interior damage caused by the 1906 earthquake.

Camerino had the Salviati firm restore the mosaics between 1913 and 1917. Because the original designs were kept, some were reproduced in their original form, while others were modified.

The north facade today.

The mosaic of The Last Supper in the chancel is a reproduction Roselli's fresco in the Sistine Chapel.

Sources:
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008.
Sinai and Sons
Wikipedia
National Parks Service on Wikimedia Commons
Frank Davey on Wikimedia Commons
The Bankcroft Library
Eric Chan (Maveric2003) on Flickr
Ed Bierman on Flickr
Typeaux on Panoramio

All Saints' Church, Odd Rode

G.G. Scott designed this church that was dedicated in 1864.

Salviati decorated the alabaster font with Venetian mosaics.

Sources:
Salviati, Antonio. On Mosaics (generally). 1865. 52.
Odd Rode Parish
gammock on Panoramio
British Listed Buildings

Salviati Mosaic Series of Tapestries

Around 1881, several designs were submitted to Salviati by Herbert A. Bone. These are reminiscent of the panels in the Kensington Valhalla, but they were never made into mosaics. However, six were commissioned by Anthony Gibbs to be manufactured into wool and silk tapestries measuring 3'6" by 1'3" by the Royal Windsor Tapestry company.

Three of the tapestries are part of the UK National Trust's collection still located at the Gibbs' estate at Tyntesfield. These include Savonarola, Saint Agnes, and Vittoria Colonna and they were originally pinned to a wooden screen in the chapel that's still decorated with Salviati mosaics.
 

 
Another unused mosaic design was the full-body portrait of Richard the Lionhearted. This tapestry was part of a public auction in late 2013.

An example of the tapestry featuring Cimabue is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, while the current location of the one depicting Joan of Arc is unknown.



Sources:
The Royal Windsor Forum
The National Trust
V&A Collections