Castellani 1870 Italian Etruscan Revival Bracelet In Solid 19Kt Yellow Gold
Etruscan Revival bracelet attributed to Castellani.
Magnificent historical piece, created in Roma Italy back in the 19th century, circa 1870. This fabulous Grand Tour bracelet has been crafted with Etruscan revival patterns in solid rich yellow gold of 19 karats with the surfaces finished with textured, brushed and polished details. Fitted with a discrete slider pin as a security lock.
The design is made up by eight squared decorated elements connected to each other with eight cylinders in the shape of Roman Cryptex. One of them has the function to serve as a very discreet slider pin lock.
Weight: 68.75 Grams, (44.07 Dwt).
Measurements: Length 6.75 Inches (17 Cm). Width 32 mm (1.26 Inches).
Hallmarks: No marks, tested for 19kt gold or .791/.999 assay. The eight links are engraved in Roman numerals in sequence; II, III, IIII, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX.
The Castellani family were goldsmiths, collectors, antique dealers and potters who created a business "empire" active in Rome during the 18th and 19th centuries. Fortunato Pio Castellani (1794–1865) is regarded as the forefather of the family. In 1814, Fortunato opened his own workshop in Rome. The progenitor specialized in the creation of jewels imitating the ones that then came to light from the necropolis of Etruria, that were found in the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum or that could be observed in the Campana collection. Initiating a partnership with Duke Michelangelo Caetani, a lover of fine arts and a designer of jewels himself, allowed Fortunato Castellani to quickly work for the most illustrious aristocratic families, initially Roman and at a later date even European. Fortunato also imported luxurious goldsmith works from the rest of Europe to be resold in Rome. Fortunato had three sons. His sons Augusto and Alessandro worked with their father and continued their activities as goldsmiths and antiquarian; his third son, Guglielmo, instead devoted himself to the art of ceramics. Fortunato Pio retired in 1850. The Castellani of the second generation devoted themselves only to the trade of jewels of their own production or to the sale of archaeological finds. The creative part was entrusted to Alessandro Castellani and Michelangelo Caetani, while Augusto was mainly interested in the financial aspects of the company. In 1859, the Castellani devoted themselves for five months to the restoration and cataloguing of the Campana Collection; they thus had the opportunity to refine their observations on the technique of granulation and filigree and to finally achieve an acceptable reproduction of them. During the second half of the 19th century, the Castellani goldsmiths had a leading role in the European market. Alessandro, who had fled to France for political reasons in 1860, opened with great success new locations in Paris and Naples in which antiquities, mainly of Etruscan origin, were traded. Clients included Napoleon III, the Louvre Museum and the British Museum, directed by Sir Isaac Newton. It has been hypothesized that some Etruscan finds traded by the Castellani were imitations. Recent chemical analyses on some antiquarian finds sold by the Castellani to the Berlin Museum have confirmed that Alessandro Castellani sometimes also sold false finds. When Alessandro died in 1883, his brother Augusto transformed the shop into a private museum. The trading activity continued with the nephews Alfredo and Torquato, sons of Augusto and Alessandro respectively; the first was a goldsmith, the second a ceramist. Their deaths, which occurred in the 1930s, coincided with the end of the family's trading activity.
History: Between the 1820 and 1890, ancient cities were discovered, such as Troy, Pompeii and Alexandria. Archaeological excavations in Egypt, Greece and Rome, discovered artistic pieces of these ancient cultures. These fabulous discoveries, stimulated cultural trips to these countries, popularly called "grand tour". Being the case that the enthusiast visitors bring back small objects, like souvenirs to be assembled into jewelry. The starting point of these trips were in the cities of Rome and Venice. this is why the craftsmen of these cities created small and interesting objects with ancient characteristics like this bracelet.
Revival jewelry: The styles from the renaissance and Middle Ages, begun in the 1850’s, The Renaissance and Egyptian revivals were joined by a classical revival of Greek and Etruscan styles to conform a new aesthetic. As a result of the construction work on the Suez Canal in the mid-1860’s and the Egyptian excavations of Auguste Mariette and the resultant exhibit of Egyptian treasures at the exposition Universelle in 1867, a fascination for all things Egyptian and ancient cultures developed.
Note: Many nineteenth-century jewelers, were inspired to create their own versions of these ancient pieces, hence “Etruscan Revival”, the most famous being the House of Castellani. Characteristics of Etruscan style jewelry include use of high karat gold and semi-precious stones like lapis, malachite and agates, and most distinguishingly, the use of intricate filigree and granulation.
Collateral: This bracelet is accompanied by a presentation jewelry box.
Condition: The overall condition of this bracelet is excellent. Beside the little normal wear, there is no damage to the gold. This piece has been carefully inspected to guarantee the condition and authenticity.
INVENTORY REF: B111222CINA/1.652
