Author: fondazione

Simona Scala and the family business “Ornella Bijoux”: a know-how handed down from mother to daughter

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The atelier Ornella Bijoux was founded in Milan in 1944 by Piera Barni. A historic business with an incredible story, bridged into present days thanks to the talent and determination of Simona Scala, the third generation at the helm of the business.
They create jewels with a vintage flavor, ofetn inspired by Art Nouveau, but also with a more contemporary taste, made up of original compositions of metals and Venetian stones, hand-painted ceramics and crystals, pearls and shells, as well as enamels, ropes, leather and feathers, mixed with freedom, harmony and originality.
An all-female enterprise, where know-how and craftsmanship have been handed down from mother to daughter for almost 80 years now.

Tell us the story of “Ornella Bijoux”.
The history of Ornella Bijoux dates back to the Second World War, and it is an all-female story of courage and relience: the company was founded in 1944 by my grandmother Piera Barni, who at the time worked as a secretary at Visconti di Modrone’s Gi.Vi.Emme Perfumes.
All of a sudden, she found herself having to decide whether to take the leap and risk everything by starting her own business.
In fact, during the war, both gold, a raw material needed for the creation of jewellery, and alcohol, necessary for the production of perfumes, disappeared from the market.
So Gi.Vi.Emme, not being able to make perfumes, proposed to “Calderoni Gioielli” to design and realize a collection of bijoux, which Gi.Vi.Emme itself would market through its distribution network.
When both gold and alcohol returned to the market in 1944, the two companies resumed their ordinary production, and Dino Villani, who was then the artistic director of Gi.Vi.emme, proposed to my grandmother to buy the costume-jewelery samples and start a new life, with a business of her own.
I am still surprised by the courage of this choice, because my grandmother was a widow with three children and her mother dependent on her, and she was providing for them all only with her salary; and, above all, she was still in the midst of World War II.

My grandmother called my mother, who was 14 at the time and was in sixth grade, and told her that they would start a new life and a new job.
Under the bombing, as my mother proudly told me, they began to tour Lombardy and Veneto by bike, to present, sell and deliver their bijoux, and they also arrived in Southern Italy thanks to the generosity of truck drivers, to whom they asked for a lift, since at that time the railway lines were all cut off.

For a few years they lived off the jewelry they had sold, then my mother, Maria Vittoria Albani, immediately showed an extraordinary talent for drawing, and thus she became, even if she had never studied, the pillar of Ornella Bijoux: from her imagination, more than 30,000 pieces were born, and we are still selling them today.
Over the years, my father, Mario Scala, has also joined the company. Having met my mother and grandmother on the train during one of their many journeys, he was immediately hired, and, until his untimely death, took care of the company administration.
In 1962 they also decided to open a prestigious store in via Montenapoleone in Milan, with the name of “Creazioni Maria Vittoria” (Maria Vittoria’s creations), where more than once, thanks to the collaboration with Biki, the famous Milanese seamstress, we created jewels for Maria Callas.

How did you decide to dedicate youself to this craft?
I was practically born in the company: the San Giuseppe hospital in Milan was 200 meters from our office and home in Via Carducci, and my mother left the workshop when she was in labor, and walked alone to the birthroom!
Since the house and the atelier were on the same floor of the building, they used to bring me to the office every day, and I was looked after by my mother, then by my grandmother or father, or even by the employees who had found a family in our company.
I grew up among beads, rhinestones, colored glass, chains and murrines: without even realizing it and, above all, without wanting to, I learned the trade, absorbing the passion and love that my whole family had for the craft, as well as to create new bijoux.

But, since my fate seemed to be already marked, I chose to explore other paths, following my interests: I graduated from university and pursued a career as a sport journalist, which at the time, moreover, was difficult to combine with the all-round role of mother, which I had promised myself to have with my children Pietro and Marta.
My mother, despite having been left alone in the meantime, since my father and my grandmother had died, continued her work, even if I think she knew in her heart that sooner or later I would have landed there too.

One can’t help one’s destiny, and mine certainly was to get to Ornella Bijoux, with the same love and dedication that my grandmother and my mother had put into the business before me. So, to give my mum a hand, I joined the company to initially deal only with sales, but, of course, at that point everything I had learned, seen, known and loved since I was a child emerged, and thus I stayed. Today I am glad I did.

What has changed over three generations, and what does it mean today to manage a business handed down from mother to daughter?
I believe that there are more things that have remained unchanged in 79 years of business and three generations (actually, currently it’s four generations, because my daughter Marta works with me in the company), than those that have changed: and these are the things that I believe and hope one can see in our jewels.
First of all, the passion and love for our work, but also the attention to detail in each piece of our collections; the joy of bringing shapes, colors and materials to life, even unexpected ones, in ever-changing expressions.

The business obviously had to fit into this time, and the evolution of the market. Now I think the management is much more complex, but we have tried to maintain its traditional character: sometimes this can be a limit, for example when we manage large runs in short times, since our bijoux are still made by hand today, one by one, and therefore require more time, and this does not fit into the fast online market, but this is the guarantee that the jewel is created specifically for the customer and can be personalized.

From a personal point of view, I feel the responsibility to carry on what was built by my grandmother, but above all by my mother, who was an uncommon creative genius, despite having always remained a humble and simple woman, loved by all.
She passed away four years ago, at the age of 90, and right up to the end she was totally and absolutely dedicated to her work, with the same creative force, the same love, the same imagination that allowed her to conceive ever-new designs for her creations, finding inspiration in the little everyday things. I miss her so much, but I feel that she is always here by my side, because this is her home.

What is your favorite technique and what does it consist of?
Actually, there is no favorite technique, I love playing with all materials, shapes and colors. If I had to choose, I would say that our flagship product are the brooches, all created entirely by hand, which are made with the welding technique, unlike most of the ones on the market today, mostly made in fusion.
This means that we have a jewel that can be modified or enriched every time, even following the needs of the customers, and that can evolve and change over the years, starting from the original creation.
Among the almost 4000 brooches in our archive, a large part is linked to the world of nature, a theme of inspiration very dear to us, and we often enhance them with the enamel technique, which allows us to emphasize the beauty of the floral compositions through colors.

What styles are you inspired by, to make your jewels?
As Giambattista Vico said, the sense of humanity passes from fantasy to logic and then, cyclically, returns to the starting point, according to the well-known theory of “historical courses and recourses”.
Even fashion and accessories inevitably repropose the themes of the past, declined according to today’s perspectives. So the sources of inspiration are always in the history of costume, fashion and jewellery.
We have an archive of over 30,000 models spanning 80 years of fashion history and, from this point of view, we are very lucky.
Then obviously everyone has a certain interest for a certain type of jewel and period, the one that most reflects our soul, our sensitivity and our taste.
I, like my mother before me, have a particular fondness for Art Nouveau, a style focused on the themes of nature, flora and fauna, in which there are no limits to the imagination, characterized by soft lines, which, with kindness and harmony, enhance the beauty of women.

How is the workshop organized today? Do you have collaborators who assist you in the work?
We have a workshop and showroom in the same place: as it has always been in the past, we have maintained the production and display of our creations in the same location, because we want customers to see how their jewels are made, browse our archive and see or choose the materials with which to give birth to their accessories.
I have internal collaborators for the manual creation of the jewels and a welding workshop outside our building.
Tradition is very important to us, and a good feeling with collaborators in the creation phase is fundamental: my mother has always created her jewels directly following their genesis in the welding workshop, where “we worked with our eyes closed”, thanks to the good connection that we had with the welder. Today, I am lucky enough to be able to do the same thing with his son, who also trained in the field under the guidance of his father.

Over the years you have worked with important brands and fashion maisons. What was it like working side by side with designers and other professionals of the field?
It was very rewarding. Those were different times and the work was organized differently, the fashion houses dedicated themselves exclusively to the creation of clothing collections and assigned the rest to others.
They came to us with the sketches of the clothes and gave us carte blanche for the design and creation of the accessories. There were some guidelines, but we had total freedom in the execution.
Today the most important brands have accessory designers and dedicated workshops where they directly create their collections; but it still happens that the style offices of the best-known fashion houses turn to us to draw inspiration from pieces in our archive, and re-propose them in their collections.
Over the years, and in a completely spontaneous way, we have made the choice to focus on our brand and our history; a choice that has probably been less profitable, but more rewarding, since we have always identified ourselves with our product.

Among other prizes and recognitions, in 2000 your atelier was included by the Municipality of Milan among the historical workshops of the city. Maria Vittoria Albani Scala, second generation in the management of the business, has also gained the title of “MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts”, from the Cologni Foundation. What do these awards mean to you?
We are very proud of the awards obtained and this year we also received the title of “Historical and Valuable Enterprise” from the Lombardy Region.
The true value of these awards lies in the fact that we are recognized that we have taken, and still follow, the right path, that one of quality, tradition and enhancement of Made in Italy.
In 2024 we will celebrate 80 years of activity, and I think I can say that the spirit, love and passion that animate our company have remained unchanged in all these years.
My mom used to say: “When you love your job, there are no Saturdays and Sundays”.
A statement that, as a little girl, left me puzzled, and I controversially asked her if she didn’t have a life outside her work! Then I understood, when it happened to me too, because when you love something with all yourself, you wish you had more and more time and energy to dedicate yourself to it.

 

Ornella Bijoux
Via Monte Cervino, 4 – Milan
Ph. +39 02 8052742
info@ornellabijoux.com
www.ornellabijoux.com

Vincenzo Aucella: Post Fata Resurgo

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Laura Inghirami, journalist and advisor specialized in the jewelry sector, and Founder of “Donna Jewel”, interviewed, for the Cologni Foundation, the Master artisans who have been acknowledged in 2022 as “MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts”, in the category: Jewelry – Silversmithing – Goldsmithing.

Vincenzo Aucella, Marketing Manager and Master artisan of Aucella, and President of Assocoral, awarded MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts, has accompanied us to discover the history of his family company, which is based in Torre del Greco (close to Naples), home to a fascinating centuries-old tradition, and specialized in the processing and production of corals and cameos. “Post Fata Resurgo”: this is the motto of the city, which, like the legendary phoenix, has always risen from the difficulties to build a future made of uniqueness, art and beauty.

The history of Aucella began in 1930. Today Vincenzo and Manuel, under the expert guidance of their father Carmine, represent the fourth generation of the family, which over the years has been able to transform the company from a small goldsmith workshop to an excellent and world-renown atelier. “It was my grandfather Giovanni in particular – says Vincenzo Aucella – who shaped the vision of the company, investing in internationalization. He was a very esteemed man, here in Torre del Greco, for his competence and generosity, which led him to always help others and to invest in art to provide a future to the artists he met on his path”. The active inclination towards social commitment has still remained as an essential feature of the company. “Our founding values are the promotion of creativity and art, respect for our collaborators and team building”.

Furthermore, what drives the company every day is the strong passion for the ancient tradition of Torre del Greco, which today holds the world record for the production of coral jewels and cameos, two forms of art that had different developments and then met right here. “The stories of corals and cameos have one aspect in common – says Vincenzo Aucella – that is the importance of women. When men, since the Renaissance, stayed away for months, facing the sea to catch corals, the women had to carry on their families, facing poverty and uncertainty, since they did not know if their children and husbands would ever return. When in the 19th century the inhabitants of Torre del Greco learned not only to trade the raw material, but also to process it, often the women themselves engaged in this art during the long months in which their companions were by the sea. Similarly, between the 19th and 20th centuries Torre del Greco became an important cultural center and the landmark of cameo manufacturing, and then again women taught local workers this art, training the city’s artisans and master engravers”.

Torre del Greco, nestled in the wide horizon of the sea and the grandeur of Vesuvius volcano, is a continuous source of inspiration for Aucella. “Our territory has taught us to always seek for beauty. We are travelers, and we always carry this philosophy with us: wherever we go, we look for inspiration in beauty. When we create a jewel, we do not follow the trends of the moment, because our hand-crafted product represents a universal and timeless beauty”. And Vincenzo Aucella precisely and inextricably links the concept of excellence to the territory. “Only Torre del Greco specializes in the making of coral jewels and cameos. Uniqueness is the true essence of excellence”.

Pursuing excellence also means knowing how to effectively combine tradition and innovation. This is Aucella’s vision. “I studied IT, and this allowed me to bring technological innovation to the company. Furthermore, since the beginning I have sought to bring stylistic innovation in the atelier, to give a new soul to an art that is often associated with a bygone taste, through research, the continuous comparison with the contemporary world and collaboration with other top companies. Together with my brothers and my parents, Carmine and Maria Francesca, who work in the Torre del Greco office, we are always committed to guaranteeing the distinctive characteristics of elegance and refinement of our jewels and to promoting a culture of openness and innovation”.

And then, the prestigious MAM award. “My application for this award was a personal challenge. I have to thank Alba Cappellieri, who has always believed in our work and gave me the necessary inspiration to reach this important recognition. I consider this award a success for the whole company, for the family and for our collaborators who allow us to express our art at its best, in Italy and in the world”.
And Vincenzo Aucella wishes to dedicate the award precisely to Torre del Greco. “Our territory represents for us a great strength in positive moments, as well as in difficult times”. Post Fata Resurgo.

Laura Inghirami

 

 

Aucella
Head Office and Factory:
Via Vittorio Veneto, 25 – Torre del Greco (Naples)
Phone: +39 0818812545

Showroom
c/o Goldsmith Center “Il Tarì”
Form 106 – Marcianise (Caserta)
Phone: +39 0823513139

www.aucella.com
info@aucella.com

Paolo Pagliai. The art of silversmithing at the time of the “fiaccherai”

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Laura Inghirami, journalist and advisor specialized in the jewelry sector, and Founder of “Donna Jewel”, interviewed, for the Cologni Foundation, the Master artisans who have been awarded as “MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts”, in the category: Jewelry – Silversmithing – Goldsmithing.

“The “fiaccherai” – says Master Paolo Pagliai – were the old-time drivers of horse-drawn carriages. In the 40s, my father Orlando Pagliai, founder of the family company, used to give them his hand-written business cards to be distributed, and also to be known and find customers.”

This is the old-time, fascinating story of Paolo Pagliai, Florentine craftsman, awarded MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts, specialized in the production and processing of silverware, as well as in the restoration and the creation of unique pieces on request. Nowadays Pagliai’s silverware is a reference point of excellence, and it has been recognized as a prestigious Florentine Historical Business.
“I’m Orlando Pagliai, the silversmith who worked at Rogai’s: if you need me, you will find me in Costa San Giorgio, 77” – as it was reported on those business cards.

Thanks to his creativity and skills, Pagliai met many important clients; among whom, in the Sixties, was a very relevant person among them – Giovanni Battista Giorgini, acknowledged for his avant-garde taste and for organizing the first fashion show in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti, Florence, in 1951. The famous entrepreneur thus became a mediator between high Italian craftsmanship, especially Florentine, and the American market.

“Thanks to him – says Stefania Pagliai, third generation of the family – a ten-year collaboration was established with Tiffany, who invested in our company by commissioning several works. For example, they asked us to replicate the works exhibited at the Museum of Silversmithing in Palazzo Pitti, a very prestigious assignment. So my grandfather and my father worked intensively together with a team of specialized craftsmen. The collaboration with Tiffany contributed significantly to the development of the company. ”

Pagliai’s is one of the last shops with its own artisan atelier inside. It is located in Borgo San Jacopo, in the heart of medieval Florence, nestled in the beauty of one of the most inspiring Italian art cities. It is not difficult to understand that the bond with the territory is a key aspect of Pagliai’s identity, as well as a continuous source of inspiration for his creations. The techniques used in the workshop, from hammering and chiseling to complex engravings, celebrate an ancient tradition; and the work of chiselers, founders and goldsmiths gives life to objects of extraordinary beauty, such as the silver dolls that Mrs. Wanda Ferragamo commissioned to Pagliai, as a present to her grandchildren.

“Return to the axis and continue straight on the path of principles and righteousness that was indicated to you. Grandma Tà”: this is the engraving on the back of the dolls, which was intended to be a deep teaching. The dolls, in fact, move when pushed, but then always return standing (2022, G. Visconti: “In the red book of Tà. The life of Wanda Ferragamo”. Mondadori Electa).
Or like Chrysler Building, the unique piece in silver realized on commission, made entirely by hand from a perforated and engraved plate, and then welded to silver, in which the spire of the skyscraper, the details, the gargoyles and the decorations are executed with the lost wax method and chiseled manually.

Over the years, the Pagliai family has shown a strong dedication to the company. And the
women of the family have played a fundamental role: “My wife Raffaella – says Paolo Pagliai – started working as a saleswoman to support me. Her contribution was key for the success of the company: her outgoing and charismatic personality contributed to create a honest relationship of affection with the customers, who would contact and choose us more and more. Today my daughter Stefania carries on the family tradition with commitment and passion”.

Regarding the MAM award, the Master feels proud and surprised. “I am proud to have received the prestigious MAM title. After many years of work, obtaining this recognition was a great satisfaction and an honor for us all. In my life I have always sought excellence, which is the extraordinary beauty of this craft, and nothing else. A timeless beauty I am so passionate about; the same passion that motivated my father, and that we are committed to handing down from generation to generation in our family”.

Laura Inghirami

 

 

 

Silversmith Pagliai
Borgo San Jacopo, 41R – Florence
www.argentierepagliai.it
info@www.argentierepagliai.it
Phone: +39 055 282840

Davide Furno and the art of wax, between magic and hyperrealism

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Davide Furno is a true master of wax.
He was the first in Italy to give new life and dignity to wax modeling, thus recovering an ancient and completely forgotten technique: this is a discipline that, with the help of waxes, natural resins, plasters and powders, gives life to flowers and fruit, that can be combined into extraordinary compositions. With this process, and thanks to secret recipes he learned during years of study, research and experimentation, Davide Furno is able to create true masterpieces of still life, refined and hyper-realistic, which make any environment magical and poetic.

What was your career path and how did you start doing this job?
I wasn’t the perfect student when I was attending school, but for art history, drawing and applied arts, I always made an exception.
Then, after graduating at high school and at the IED (European Institute of Design), I worked for several years as a graphic designer and illustrator, experimenting with drawing and with different decorative techniques, such as gilding, trompe l’oeil and faux marble, among others.
During this time of tireless research, I came across wax modelling by chance – and it couldn’t be otherwise, since at the time it was an unknown process – and in particular I discovered the collection of wax fruits by Francesco Garnier Valletti, which was basically forgotten on the shelves of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Turin: hundreds of wax fruits of breathtaking beauty, made with a technique which was considered lost forever.
I am lucky enough to remember very well the moment I fell in love with what was to become my work for the rest of my life. But it would still take many years, spent between researching and experimenting recipes and materials, wandering between fairs and markets, and going through failures and recoveries, to make of this passion a real job.

Your works are true masterpieces of still life. How much time and how much practice did it take to get to this result?
It is not easy to calculate the necessary time and practice, as both have blurred boundaries. Being a discarded and forgotten technique, I had no one to teach me. The output I have reached is the result of a few recipes that I found or created, by matching rare notes and ancient manuals, as well as a lot of self-taught experimentation, which still continues. I can say precisely when I started working with wax, but the preparation of the plaster casts, the study of the colors and their preparation, the practice with resins, organic materials and glues, all started many years earlier. In this process I wasn’t realizing that I was accumulating experience and knowledge, that would be useful in the development of the technique of wax modelling.
To answer the question, I would say that it took a few years from the moment I casted my first apple, which actually looked more like a burnt tuber, to the moment I obtained a recognizable fruit with the correct recipe by Garnier Valletti. The time I spent in this process was necessary to experiment and confirm the accuracy of the procedure, often more than anything else. From then on, it was above all a question of improving my works and the aesthetic result, but I think this is the natural inclination of any craftsman.

Who are the clients of your works and what has been the most interesting work you have done so far?
Incredibly, even with a time jump of two centuries in which wax modeling was disappeared, my client is exactly the same one that a master wax modeler would serve two hundred years ago, obviously with the natural differences between the two eras: concerning the decorative elements and the compositions such as centerpieces, my clients are usually furniture shops, interior designers and private individuals; while for the “pomone” (i.e. collections of fruit replicas) I have requests above all from museums and botanical gardens, universities, and collectors.
I have often received exciting commissions from museums and important exhibitions, but if I had to choose the one that still satisfies and excites me the most, it is when the collector sends me his own fruit to reproduce. Often, these are plants owned and cared for by loved ones, or ancient rediscovered varieties, many times linked to particular memories.

How many hours of work does it take to make a piece and what is the procedure?
Among the techniques I use, the one by Francesco Garnier Valletti is certainly the most characteristic and complex one, as well as the technique that best represents me, having rediscovered it personally.
Having to be exhibited on the shelves of a museum, durability is one of the prerogatives of the object, and this is not exactly a characteristic of wax.
To get a durable object in wax, the base mixture must be worked for a long time and cooked for hours in very precise conditions, until you get a result somewhat similar to terracotta. At this point, however, the material has lost basically all the characteristics of wax, such as shine and translucency, and it looks dark brown and opaque instead.
The mixture must therefore be treated like a common pictorial background and prepared, with a few coats of white priming, a subsequent glaze with resin colors, which I necessarily have to prepare personally.
Given this long premise, and considering that each fruit has different coats of glaze, it is easy to understand how the time needed to make a fruit is no less than a few months, depending on whether you work in summer or winter, in a dry or humid environment, and so on.

Have you ever thought of teaching this rare and little-known technique?
Of course I have thought about it, and sometimes I have even tried it, with children, friends and enthusiasts.
But the lessons didn’t last long: they all ran away pretty quickly, I don’t know if it was disappointment for the result, the fatigue or my temper!
Seriously, I’m definitely going to pass this knowledge down sooner or later. But since it is not a simple job at the moment, with few professional opportunities, it is difficult and perhaps not even fair to involve a young person as an apprentice.
I mean that I am still thinking about it and how to do it. In the future, a solution could be to collaborate with craft schools, which certainly have more resources than me.

How do you combine tradition and innovation in your work?
It’s difficult to talk about innovation in a profession as tied to the past as mine, but there is still room for renovation.
From a technical point of view, let’s say that over time I have been able to renew classic recipes, making them more up-to-date and ethically acceptable, for example by eliminating toxic paints and pigments, which were once used without concerns, or unavailable ingredients such as whale fat, and replacing them with resins, waxes and other organic materials.
Today I am able to offer both historical recipes and personally created blends, which are probably, depending on the case, more resistant and plausible.
From an aesthetic point of view then, it is trivial to talk about the actualization of taste. Today, proposing cornucopias and triumphs of fruit can be surprising at an exhibition, but then you have to be really lucky to be able to sell it.

In 2022 you got the “MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere” title, assigned by the Cologni Foundation to master craftspeople. What did it mean for you?
I will not deny that, if on the one hand it was a wonderful satisfaction that I badly needed, on the other hand I feel, the responsibility of that.
I mean that in addition to having felt awe towards the audience and the other awarded masters – since the level of talent and excellence was such as to intimidate anyone – the fact of having reached the top so quickly, makes me fear of not being able to make the most of all the opportunities that are offered to me.
In any case, for me this has been an enormous stimulus to carry out all the projects I have in the pipeline, and perhaps this is just the right time to carry them out.

What are your future projects?
For a year now I have been dedicating myself to two large-scale works: the first is the re-edition with the ceroplastic technique of a first part of the Gallesio pomona. The second is the creation of a collection of grapes, certainly the most complex, difficult and extraordinarily beautiful fruit of all achievable with the Garnier Valletti technique.
These are very demanding and somewhat presumptuous undertakings, but the extraordinary year that was 2022, with the recognitions I gained from “Fatti ad Arte” – with the “Maestro di Mestiere” Award – and the title of “MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere”, gave me somehow the courage to try.

Davide Furno
Salita di Riva, 6 – Biella
info@davidefurno.it
Ph. +39 345.6273518
www.davidefurno.it

Giovanni Poggi: a history of passion and excellence

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The history of “Ceramiche San Giorgio” started with the dream of a boy, Giovanni Poggi, who wanted to be a ceramicist and to open an important workshop.
He decided to do it in his hometown, Albisola, a Ligurian city with a long artisanal tradition: the San Giorgio factory opened its doors in 1958, thanks to the partnership between master artisan Poggi and his two collaborators, Eliseo Salino and Mario Pastorino.
Albisola was a great place for experimenting and re-inventing the art of ceramics, and Giovanni Poggi’s workshop was one of the protagonists of this revolution. Numerous internationally renowned artists have worked in his furnace, and over the years it has been a true point of reference for Italian ceramics. Today, the history of the atelier continues with the same passion and consistency.

What is your story and when did you approach the world of ceramics?
Since I was a child I was fascinated by ceramics, and I used to watch the pots drying “en plein air”. That’s how I approached to this world; in fact I always used to say to my mother: “I want to become a ceramicist”.
My adventure in the world of ceramics began after my military discharge, when I decided to leave Albisola and work in the ceramic factory “C.A.S. – Ceramiche Artistiche Santa Margherita Ligure”: there I lived an important stage of my life, and I met Giuseppe Pinelli, owner of the factory, who immediately treated me like a son.
There, from 1955 to 1957, I learned new techniques and put aside the teachings of Albisola ceramics for a while, thus starting to use, for the first time, the glazes that years later I would use at the San Giorgio workshop – those glazes, applied to bowls with jagged edges, obtained a great success in Albisola, where the bright colors were a real novelty.
At the end of 1957 I finished the experience at C.A.S. and I came back with enthusiasm to Albisola, where I worked for a few months at the Fabbrica Albisolese Ceramiche. There I met the artistic director, Eliseo Salino: not only a true friendship, but also a profitable working partnership immediately was born among us, as well as with Mario Pastorino. From our conversations would then arise the dream and the common goal to open our own ceramic factory.
But this path was not simple. First we had to find a suitable place. We immediately thought about the headquarters of the Piccone factory in Albissola Marina, a former ceramic furnace; but the negotiations were not easy, because the owner did not want to rent the place to potters. However, Salino’s father managed to convince her, by taking himself the responsibility for the payments.
We inaugurated the workshop in April, in the day of San Giorgio: for this reason we decided to call the factory with the name of the saint.

What styles and techniques do you prefer?
Albisola is renowned for the traditional “white and blue” or “Antico Savona” decoration, which was introduced by the Guidobono family in the mid-17th Century. The decoration, which usually includes a human figure inserted in a landscape with a castle, has made Albisola famous all over the world. However, I feel personally more inclined towards the use of color: in fact I love the shiny and bright glazes that characterize the modern production of Ceramiche San Giorgio, such as the “stork vases”, so called because they have a very thin and long neck, and they are decorated with very bright colors.

Many important artists, such as Lucio Fontana, Asger Jorn and Wifredo Lam, who settled in Albissola between the 1950s and 1960s, chose your factory to create their pieces. What influence did they have on your work and experience as a ceramist?
I was lucky enough to work with important artists of the second half of the 20th century, each of whom gave me useful lessons. A significant working partnership often arises between an artist and a craftsman, and I have many good memories of each of them.
Fontana, for example, was always very elegant, he used to dress in white and often wore a red hat. He moved around by bike, with which he went to the atelier. He attended San Giorgio factory in 1962-1964: here he made a one-meter large in diameter plate, and he modeled original vases as well. He used to draw the pieces himself, and I shaped them on the lathe. His drawings are still hanging on the wall of the workshop, as a tangible mark of his work at Ceramiche San Giorgio.

When Asger Jorn arrived in Albisola he was already an acknowledged artist, and his art was internationally recognized. Together with Sergio Dangelo he had organized the “International Ceramics Meetings” in 1954. In 1959, in my workshop, Jorn created a panel that is today located in Aarhus (Denmark). It took us about three months of work, because it was 90 square meters big: at the time it was considered the largest ceramic panel in the world!
We proceeded in sectors of 3 square meters at a time, which were then selected, left to dry, emptied and numbered, for a total of 1250 irregular tiles. Jorn mainly used red, yellow, orange, blue and turquoise selenium-based enamels, which were very expensive at the time. They had to be prepared in buckets of 10 kilos each, and Jorn used to throw them impetuously over the piece of clay.

I share so many memories with the Cuban painter Wifredo Lam. He was a hard-working man, and he loved to paint in a peaceful environment. That’s why we used to close the workshop with curtains, so that he wasn’t disturbed by anyone. We worked side by side, and for me it was a great honor to be able to host such an important artist.
I shared him information on colours, glazes, oxides…
He used to stand still for hours and hours without getting tired or complaining. He loved experimenting new techniques and combining bright colors, and he was always curious to know the result of the work. Lam realized a wide production, ranging from plates to vases and panels. Many of these masterpieces are now exhibited in the most prestigious museums of the world, while I jealously keep others for myself, in order to display them in group exhibitions, when I proudly show them to the public.

How is the workshop organized, today? Do you have collaborators who assist you in the production?
The San Giorgio factory is a family-run workshop. The team is composed of my son Matteo, who works on the lathe, a technique which I personally taught to him; Silvana Priametto, who in the 1960s was the only woman potter, and who knows all the techniques of ceramics; and Luisa Delfino, the very talented decorator of the factory.
Then, also my brother Piero takes care of the photographic archive and cataloguing, and my niece Simona organizes exhibitions and cultural events.

Do you also organize courses or other initiatives to promote ceramics?
For some years I taught the lathe technique at the Municipal School of Ceramics of Albisola Superiore. It was a beautiful experience. Currently, I do not organize courses but in the workshop we regularly organize cultural activities, exhibitions and meetings, with the participation of the artists who work in the atelier, as well as of critics and ceramic experts.
I am glad to see that San Giorgio has been, since its foundation, and continues to be today, an important point of reference for artists and young people who, sometimes shily, approach clay for the first time, and thus need the advice of master artisans.

Do you still collaborate with artists and designers?
The collaboration with artists is very important for us. Art evolves, changes and renews itself, which is why I always welcome with great enthusiasm artists who come to experiment with ceramics, colors and different techniques. It is very inspiring to collaborate with artists, and often the artists themselves propose to others to come to us to try working with clay. So far, more than two hundred painters and sculptors have chosen our kilns to give life to their creations, and I hope that the new generations of artists will continue to come to Albisola and consider it a great place to make ceramics.
Last week, in our workshop, I felt like I was in Germany: Italian, German and English were spoken in the atelier, and there were at least six German artists at work!

What are the plans for the future of your business?
We are currently working on an important project by the artist Alfonso Borghi, which involves the creation of twelve large panels that will be placed in Castelnovo di Sotto (Reggio Emilia).
I think that new ideas and intiatives will always arise because, as I often repeat, art has the power to connect people and create wonderful bonds and collaborations.

 

Ceramiche San Giorgio
Corso Matteotti, 5/R – Albissola Marina (SV)
poggip@libero.it
Ph: +39 019 482747

Saverio Pastor, one of the last witnesses of the “remèr” tradition.

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Saverio Pastor is one of the last “remèr” (oar maker) masters in Venice: an ancient trade, which was born in Venice many centuries ago, when mobility around the lagoon was entirely by rowing.
This noble craft is nowadays in danger of disappearing, because there are few craftspeople who are able to carry on this important know-how, and even fewer young talents who have the courage to invest many years in such a challenging job.
Nevertheless, this tradition is deeply rooted into the Venetian history and culture.
Saverio Pastor trained alongside masters Giuseppe Carli and Gino Fossetta. In 2002 he opened his own workshop, “Le Forcole”, specialized in the construction of oars and oarlocks for Venetian gondolas, according to traditional techniques dating back to the Renaissance.

How did you approach the craft of the remèr, and what was your path?
On 15 June 1975 I asked master remèr Bepi Carli if I could work with him during the summer. He replied that I was already too old to learn, nevertheless I could stay in the workshop and watch. So I did it for 8 hours a day, until he grew tired of having me around doing nothing, and asked me to clean the workshop.
For at least four more years, he kept telling me I was too old to learn; then other circumstances forced me to set up my own business.
Today I’m still learning… Despite being the oldest remèr in Venice by now!
Remèr is actually my craft. Even if I create oarlocks, I am not purely a “forcolaio” (oarlocks maker): the oar was the most important and difficult part to build, and its function was very important in a city like Venice.

You are one of the last remèr masters. What does it mean to carry on an time-honoured and rare craft that is in danger of disappearing?
I have always felt the value of this important aspect of my work. I was not aware that I was a witness and an heir of this immaterial culture, but I perceived its gravitas.
Having acquired experience and consistency in this job, I started to take care of these aspects of the craft, also by comparing myself with other colleagues, above all in the shipbuilding industry.

How does the design and production process of the Venetian oarlocks take place?
The fórcola is the oarlock on which the oar pivots for rowing: each of its handles and surfaces are designed to allow the oar to make different movements in the water; its shapes depend on the particular rowing position, the type of boat, the rowing style and the build of the rower. The result is a complex sculpture, useful for rowing.
They are made by hand by sculpting homogeneous and compact woods such as walnut, pear, cherry or maple wood.
I try to respect the principles and ancient techniques of the craft tradition, which include careful natural seasoning, gradual roughing and the use of now obsolete tools such as the frame saw, the ax and the iron with two handles. The dexterity and customization of the object play an important role: it’s a two-way customization, which responds both to the needs of the rower and the sensitivity of the master artisan.

This year you were awarded the MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts acknowledgement, recognized by the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art. What was it like to receive it?
It was actually more exciting than I could imagine. Finding myself among masters and colleagues of unrivaled skill, awarded by experts of great value, really moved me. I must say that I also felt a little out of place, especially thinking back to the skills that my mentors had and their socio-economic background. Therefore I felt once more gratitude and empathy towards them.

Do you offer courses in your workshop? Are you willing to welcome young people for training projects?
I don’t organize courses because I believe that my job is essentially a service to professionals and rowing enthusiasts. I was willing to teach some young people who later became colleagues, and two of them are still working (Pietro Meneghini has been my collaborator for 18 years). I would therefore be willing to teach the craft, but as a holystic project. However, there are no adequate socio-economic conditions in Venice at the moment to ensure a young person a future in this craft, and you can’t deceive youngsters, committing them to years of apprenticeship, with no clear perspective for the future.

Your oarlocks are original and contemporary, they are design pieces. Where do you find inspiration?
The needs of the rower determine the dimensions, and the points on which to force the oar; these must be mediated with the shapes and dimensions of the boat in that specific rowing place. With these constraints I have to shape the wood so that it is resistant and responds to technical requirements. Tradition already dictates some forms to be respected. Then masters put their mark, their calligraphy: here there is room for a minimum of creativity which for me lies in evaluating the proportions and the definition of volumes and curves.

Have you ever worked with other artisans, designers or professionals? If yes, what resulted from the partnerships?
I have never really collaborated with other professionals. I made some reproductions of sculptures or sculptural ornaments, that’s it.
Working with others could be interesting, so I am open to this chance.

How do you imagine the future of your craft and what initiatives should be pursued to promote it?
The future of my craft is closely linked to Venice. I think the only possible perspective for our city is to bring attention back to our history, to the water and the life and civilization on the water, that has made Venice great and which we cannot renounce to, this being our characteristic identity. In this framework, my craft finds a place. Only by making peace with water, and perhaps enhancing and returning to the use of wood, Venice will have a future. Also because sustainable mobility is one of the most important aspects of our culture, and rowing plays an essential role in this: there are ferries, there are gondolas, there are “i artieri de gondole et suoi fornimenti” (gondolas and its artisans).

 

Le Forcole
Fondamenta Soranzo, 341 – Venice
www.forcole.com
savepastor@libero.it
Ph. +39 041 5225699

Anita Cerrato and the art of healing wounds

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Anita Cerrato is a ceramic restorer with a great passion for the Japanese culture and aesthetics.
She specializes in Kintsugi, a ceramic repair technique that does not hide the fractures of the object, but enhances them by embellishing them: an imperfect beauty capable of restoring life and meaning to any object.
In her atelier in Milan, she creates objects and furnishing accessories of the highest quality, with original raw materials from the Empire of the Rising Sun: clay, precious Urushi lacquer, and Marufun gold.
In 2022 she was awarded the title MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts by the Cologni Foundation.

You are a master of the art of “Kintsugi”. What is it about?
Kintsugi is an ancient form of ceramic restoration.
According to the most accredited legend, it originated in the 15th century AD, when Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun of Ashikaga, after breaking his favorite cup of tea, sent it to China to have it fixed. The repairs unfortunately took place with metal bindings that are not very aesthetic and not functional at all. The object seemed lost, but its owner tried to entrust it to some Japanese artisans who, surprised by the shogun’s tenacity in wanting to get his beloved cup back, decided to try to transform it into a jewel by filling the cracks with lacquered resin and gold powder.
To restore the fragments, the same materials that were originally used are still employed today: urushi lacquer, flour, coal, clay powder (tonoko), gold and silver powders.
In my opinion, Kintsugi can be considered the oldest form of conservative restoration because the damage is not camouflaged: it is even highlighted, revealing the history of the object.

What was your path and how did you approach this highly refined practice?
I know it sounds like a repetition, but thanks to this technique I have made Kintsugi of my life. I had already worked for many years as a restorer, in the field of wood restoration and gilding. I was lucky enough to have great masters and to work in famous Milanese workshops, such as those of Gacarù and Sabatelli.
Unfortunately, already towards the end of the Nineties ancient objects were less interesting for the public. I had already restored the pieces of the first, second and even third houses of my historical clients, but there was no generational change, and the children were no longer interested in filling the homes with antiques. Thus market prices have collapsed, with the aggravating circumstance that modern apartments are cut to the millimeter and often it is necessary to make custom-made furniture.
It was a generalized crisis: the artisans who were close to retirement organized themselves to close, the younger ones, like me, had to reinvent themselves.
I was lucky enough to have a large dowry of gold leaf booklets, which Sabatelli had left me when he closed. So, having a great passion for the East, I had thought of making wooden objects coated with gold. I searched on the internet: orient, gold, bowls … and a photo of a bowl restored with Kintsugi appeared: I immediately fell in love. At the time it was not like now, when you can find the tutorials on Youtube and you can buy the urushi online. Few images were shot and all in sites where psychoanalysis and trauma were mentioned. To understand how to do it, I had no choice but to leave for Japan.

What other techniques do you use besides Kintsugi?
Kintsugi (from “kin”, gold, and “tsugi”, rejoining) is certainly the best known technique because in the West we have attributed a symbolic meaning to it, and the metaphor it carries has become very popular.
There are also other restoration methods, such as “Ginstugi”, where “gin” means silver, “Urushi tsugi”, for which metal powders are not used for the finish, but the lacquer is left exposed. You can also make some inserts when the original fragments of the piece are missing: “Yobitsugi”, when the insert is in ceramic, “Mokuhen”, when the insert is in wood.
Currently I am also learning the technique of “Maki-e”, lacquering, even if it takes a long time because it is very difficult.
Do you also organize courses in your laboratory? Or other initiatives to promote this art?
Kintsugi is nothing more than a ceramic restoration technique, but very few people approach the lessons to learn how to restore.
Almost everyone comes to me to learn how to glue the pieces, of course, but even more so to feel a little less alone and find answers.
The West is the cradle of philosophy and psychoanalysis; so a Kintsugi course becomes a session of self-analysis, and unfortunately I have no answer to give, as Brecht said: “do not expect any answer, other than yours”.
So when people put the pieces together they wonder what the glue of their existence is, when they put the pieces back together they remember an experience so traumatic that, after all, it has become a turning point.
And the more a piece is broken, the richer it will be in the end.
This is what people seek from me: putting the pieces back together, making your life a work of art. For this reason, for years we have been engaged in non-profit activities in cancer wards, family homes, nursing homes, to carry forward the message of Kintsugi: an opportunity can arise from a difficulty.

This year you have obtained the MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts award from the Cologni Foundation. What did this mean for you?
Obviously it was a great honor, which made me think that the twenty-eight years spent in the workshop have not been thrown away. There have been many moments of frustration and the feeling of failure, especially in a country that does not do much to help the artisans.
What is never considered by the institutions is that our activities are slow, indeed very slow, so the taxation on a gain is disproportionate because, if you want to finish an object perfectly, the hours are never paid. A craftsperson cannot optimize production at the expense of quality, as is done in a factory.
To be honest, during the awards-giving ceremony I felt flattered, but also embarrassed, because next to me there were some artisans who have spent up to fifty years in the workshop, so I told myself that there is still a long way to go.

How does tradition and innovation combine in your work?
Tradition is inherent in the manufacturing process and in the materials, innovation is carried forward by ideas and creativity.
A definitely innovative project is to apply the original Kintsugi technique to unusual materials. Three years ago the idea was born, with the photographer Carola Guaineri, to restore torn photos using gold. It took a lot of research because the papers on which you print in the dark room, or baryta and polythene paper, fear humidity, while Urushi needs a warm and very humid environment to dry.
The idea was very successful, especially during the “Homo Faber” event, precisely because we innovated the Kintsugi and declined it in a modern key.
The hope is, always and in any case, to be able to communicate beauty combined with dedication.

What are your plans for the future of your business?
I’m currently working on an ambitious project, focused on the theme of the mask… but I can’t reveal too much!

Kintsu Handmade
Via Vignola, 5 – Milan
www.kintsuhandmade.com
info@kintsuhandmade.com
Ph: +39 333 6540917

Barbini Specchi Venenziani: the spectacular art of glass engraving

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The history of the Barbini family goes along with the tradition of Venetian mirrors, which dates back to the 16th century. The brothers Giovanni and Vincenzo Barbini, with the support of their children, still nowadays personally carry out all the stages of processing using the traditional techniques of the craft.
In 2018 they received the accolade MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts, promoted by the Cologni Foundation in collaboration with Alma. They took part in Homo Faber Event 2022 in Venice, exhibiting an extraordinary monumental mirror in homage to the Empire of the Rising Sun.

What is your story and how was “Barbini Mirrors Veneziani” born?
AAV Barbini Srl is the oldest Murano company still in business, with regards to the art of Venetian mirrors.
The Barbinis have been present in Murano since the second half of the 16th century. In 1658, by order of the Council of Ten, our name was inscribed in the “Golden Book of the Magnificent Community of Murano”, known as the book of the glass nobility of the island.
Over the centuries the members of the family worked in the various sectors of artistic glass production, such as in the chandeliers, beads, conterie and various objects, specializing in particular in the manufacture of Venetian mirrors, contributing to the prestige and quality to the Serenissima and the island’s artisanal production.
The earliest news about our family dates back to the seventeenth century. In 1665 some glass masters were secretly taken to France, to the court of Louis XIV, to start a local production of Venetian mirrors. Among them is Gerolamo Barbini, who collaborated at the “Manufacture Royale des glaces de miroirs”, in the Parisian area of Saint-Antoine.
During the nineteenth century almost all the members of our family worked as “conzadori” masters, providing consultancy to the major factories in Murano.
In the twentieth century, Nicolò and his brother Guglielmo Barbini resumed the processing of Venetian mirrors in Murano, by then almost completely forgotten, thus reinterpreting a priceless heritage of techniques and secrets. Nicolò passed on this legacy to his sons Vincenzo and Giovanni, who would continue the long family tradition up to the present day.
In 1927 Nicolò Barbini founded his first company for artistically engraved glass, with which his brother Guglielmo, also an engraver, collaborated, immediately distinguishing himself for the elegance and refinement of the mirrors produced. After only two years of activity, in 1929, he was awarded the First Grade Gold Medal at the Exhibition in Florence. In 1985 Vincenzo and Giovanni became the owners of the company, which currently employs the work of three generations of expert craftsmen. All stages of processing – the design, cutting, grinding, engraving, silvering and assembly – are carried out exclusively in Murano, and personally followed by us brothers and our respective children, Nicola, Marco and Giovanna, Pietro, Andrea and Filippo, capable of continuously reinterpreting an inestimable family heritage of techniques and secrets.

How does the process of conception, design and realization of your work take place?
We can summarize the process of making one of our pieces with the word “dialogue”: a continuous dialogue between us, between the artisans we work with and the designer or artist. And it is precisely from the comparison with the skills and experiences of the other person that our works are born.

How important is the link with the city of Venice and the island of Murano for your work?
Our activity as mirror makers is necessarily linked to our territory, and the name of our product already says it with absolute and unequivocal clarity: Venetian Mirrors.
We know well that mirrors and glass were not invented in Murano or Venice, but right here the art of glass has developed like nowhere else. Here were invented processing techniques, tools, machinery, types of glass, applications and styles, and the same “Venetian mirror”: a spectacular object requested by the crowned heads of all Europe, which initially differed from all the others for the quality, the clarity and perfection of the mirror surface; later for the frames decorated with straws, leaves and flowers in colored glass, or with elements in engraved glass, while still throughout Europe the frames were made of sealing wax, wood and various metals.

What is your source of inspiration?
Our sources of inspiration are always linked to tradition, with a necessary adaptation to the taste of customers, and the support of young designers.
There is always a renewal in production, linked to the market and changing tastes. But often it is a matter of updating only the combination of colors or a few other elements, leaving the fundamental traits of tradition intact. For this reason, we now have over 1000 models.

How do you combine the strong bond with tradition with the ability to always innovate decorations and styles?
Today we can say that in our work the combination of tradition and innovation is expressed by leaving room for new ideas and proposals, trying to see the “new” as an enrichment of our knowledge and technical skills.
We, as an older generation of artisans, usually look at new technologies with a suspicious mind, without thinking that these could instead enrich our knowledge, enhance the techniques we already use and, consequently, make the product even more unique.
Our children have helped us a lot: joining the company, they have brought new vitality and energy to the production, the desire to experiment with new silvering and engraving techniques, the introduction of new machinery, such as the very modern water jet, which we are the only ones to own in Murano, an oven for melting glass is installed.
Do you carry out teaching activities within your company? Are you available to welcome young people for training apprenticeships?
We have always trained young people to make them learn the trade, also hiring many of them in the company: now more than ever since the company is in the hands of our children and grandchildren. Furthermore, in recent years, we have welcomed some young people for school-work alternation, trying to make them aware of all the stages of the Venetian mirror manufacturing process.

What are the plans for the future of your company?
Our will is to continue to enhance Murano glass and make the world of Venetian mirror processing and its innumerable potentials known to the world; as well as enhancing collaboration as a founding value, a sine qua non for experimenting with new worlds and experiences, which is one of the secrets of the success of Murano glass.

 

Barbini Specchi Veneziani
Calle Dietro gli Orti, 7 – Murano (Venice)
www.aavbarbini.it
info@aavbarbini.it
Ph: +39 041.739 518

Sandro Barbera & Sons

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Sandro Barbera & Sons is the winner of the Artigiano del cuore contest, for the section entitled Vestirsi e Ornarsi (Chothing and Ornaments).
We have met Sandro’s son, Andrea, who is now continuing the family business with his brother Stefano: a sound, cutting-edge company, resting on a great family tradition. Everybody in Biella knows and loves their shoes, which are successfully sold worldwide.

Congratulations on your victory! What were your feelings throughout this experience?
Heartfelt thanks, we must say, from my family. We went through the contest with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of excitement and, undeniably, some anxiety: it was a dream coming true! It was a team win, thanks to our parents and all the people who showed their affection, trust and a keen appreciation for our products.

When was your business established ? What did growing up in a bottega mean for you?
Ours is a family business, it was established 50 years ago thanks to my parents’ expertise in the shoe industry and their passion for Italian handmade objects. They were deeply rooted in the savoir-faire characterising Biella’s territory to this day, which is deeply rooted in me and my brother Stefano as well. We followed in their steps as the natural consequence of having been reared in the bottega. That was always a magic place for us, where we could create things with our hands, play together, meet new people and see a glint of wonderment in our clients’ eyes. I owe a lot to my parents — especially my father — who were able to pass on their passion and their trade secrets to us through a full-blown family apprenticeship. Also, master shoemakers often visited our workshop exchanging their expertise with us, playing a relevant role in our training and offering us an excellent opportunity for growth.

Fabrizio Travisanutto

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Fabrizio Travisanutto is the winner of the Artigiano del Cuore (Artisan of the Heart) contest for the Arredare e Decorare (Furnishing and Decorating) section. A Master Mosaic artist since 2003, he is now running his father’s business as well as creating wonderful artworks for prestigious customers worldwide.

Congratulations on your winning! How did you experience the “Artisan of the Heart” contest?
With great curiosity and enthusiasm. That was the first time I was so overtly involved; I generally avoid showing my work to a large audience. I would like to thank all the people who have spent a few moments to express their sympathy with us.

When was your business established? What encouraged you to carry forward its tradition?
My father, Giovanni Travisanutto, studied and worked as a mosaic artist in Spilimbergo until, in 1971, he was offered an opportunity to work in New York City, US. After working very successfully for ten years, he decided to come back to Friuli and open a workshop, and for years we never stopped, even one day, creating thousands of artistic mosaics in every corner of the world.
My father wanted me to become a lawyer, but, after attending the Liceo Classico, I chose to carry forward his trade. In fact, I have never seen him bored, or tired; he always looked satisfied, always happy to go to work. No doubt, he was, and is, my role model to this day.