MARIO BUCCELLATI: A MID-20th CENTURY 'MADONNA OF THE GOLDFINCH' DESK FRAME * foliate motif frame with circular-cut pink sapphires and garnets * reverse signed 'inciso nella bottega di Mario...

MARIO BUCCELLATI: A MID-20th CENTURY 'MADONNA OF THE GOLDFINCH' DESK FRAME * foliate motif frame with circular-cut pink sapphires and garnets * reverse signed 'inciso nella bottega di Mario Buccellati’ (engraved in the workshop of Mario Buccellati) * in silver and copper * folding bale * with maker’s case * 10.5x7.9cm

 

Mario Buccellati, born 1891, in Ancona, Italy, began his jewellery career as an apprentice to goldsmith’s Beltrami and Besnati in Milan. During his apprenticeship, young Buccellati was trained in thousand-year-old metalsmithing techniques and developed an eye for refinery and elegance. 

In 1919, he opened his first shop in the heart of Milan, and he quickly crafted a name for himself. The jeweller became renowned for his unique revivalist style, using ancient practices inspired by the techniques of ancient Greece, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, alongside contemporary methods. 

The workshop and its artisan implemented engraving, repoussé and chasing, alongside filigree, niello and enamel to elevate his pieces. These techniques led to the house’s highly recognisable style, blending tradition with the glamour of La Dolce Vita, and resulting in their distinct gold and silver designs, often based on naturalistic motifs. These sumptuous designs are rich in texture and history, embodying lush textiles like lace and tulle and accentuating their fine craftsmanship. 

Buccellati’s silverware and objects reference 15th- and 16th-century European art, Oriental art, and nature, enshrining memory, recollection, and dreams. He called upon classical tradition, the Florentine Renaissance, the Milanese Renaissance, and the German school to bring to life his silverwork, resulting in deeply detailed, finely crafted heirlooms. 

The house’s unique craftsmanship has solidified him as one of Italy’s most celebrated jewellers, with royal European families, great cardinals of Rome, and even the Pope being amongst his clientele. 

His legacy is carried on by his family, with his sons joining in the 1940s, Gianmaria, Lorenzo and Federico, and is currently maintained by his grandson Andrea. 

 

 

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