DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1399#0041
PLATE 212.
EXAMPLES OE GOLD AND ENAMELLED JEWELLERY,
BY CASTELLANI, OF HOME AND LONDON,
WE cannot speak too highly of the exquisite taste and workmanship displayed by Signor
Oastellani in his wonderful reproductions of Greek, Etruscan, and other goldsmith's
jewellery. Certainly, with the exception of some ancient relics of the class, preserved in public
museums and some private collections, we have never met with anything approaching the delicacy of
taste and touch requisite for their production; and the International Jury of Class 33 evinced their
high appreciation of Signor Castellani's merits by awarding him a prize medal " for excellence of
design and workmanship," remarking, at the same time, that "each object exhibited by him is a
study for the archasologist, the artist, and the workman." Signor Castellani has, with true artistic
ardour and untiring perseverance, made himself master of most of the processes of the ancient
goldsmiths, and, by dint of long study and practice, in which he was aided with the valuable
assistance of the Duke Michelangelo Gaetani, has arrived at the means of reproducing, in their
most minute details, the marvellous works of ancient Greece and Etruria. He does not, however,
confine his powers to those epochs of art, but has equally well succeeded in comparatively modern
schools of art; and his collection contained facsimiles of works in the following styles:—1. The
Greek, both the mother-country and its colonies; 2. the Etruscan, the work of the ancient
inhabitants of Etruria and Central Italy; 3. the Roman, of the time of the Empire; 4. the Byzan-
tine, extending to the earlier ages of Christianity; 5. the Mediasval, extending from about the
10th century to the 16th; 6. the Renaissance, the specimens of which period were principally
taken from the finest works of Cellini.
Erom a pamphlet on "Antique Jewellery and its Revival," by Signor Castellani, printed for
private circulation, we learn that in the year 1814 the elder Castellani commenced the imitation
of French and English jewellery at Rome with great success. The works of art in gold and enamel
found in the ancient sepulchres in Etruria and Magna Gracia excited the wonder and admiration of
all who saw them, and Signor Castellani, already skilled in long practice of close imitation, deter-
mined to reproduce them, to the utmost of his ability. He became satisfied, by close investigation,
that, for the most part, all the raised ornaments were composed of various minute pieces of gold,
cleverly joined or soldered together. After assiduously trying various methods to produce the
same effect, but in vain, he at length came across some necklaces, and earrings locally known
as "navicelle," made by workmen residing in the villages of the TJmbrian Marches, principally at
St. Angelo in Vado. These, in many respects, resembled the Etruscan work, and he was astonished
to find that the traditions of the old method were still preserved and put in practice. Accordingly,
Signor Castellani obtained some of these workmen, and proceeded to cultivate their peculiar
talent. He says that, " inheriting the patience of their forefathers, and caring nothing for the
mechanical contrivances by which geometrical exactness is attained in modern jewellery, they
succeeded better than all whom we had previously employed in the imitation of that freedom of
style which is the peculiar characteristic of the art among the ancients. Among these workmen
from St. Angelo, we mention with pleasure the name of Benedetto Romanini, master of his tra-
ditional methods to our first Roman disciples in this art." "Works of this period may be divided,"
continues our author, "into ornaments for use and ornaments for purposes of sepulture: the first
are massive enough to be worn for years without injury, whilst the latter are of extraordinary
lightness. We are astonished at the fineness and delicacy of their workmanship, and are not
always able to imitate them. Both are executed in very pure gold; and it appears that the
makers used chemical and mechanical agents unknown to us, which enabled them to separate or
join pieces of gold hardly perceptible to the naked eye; their processes of smelting, soldering, and
wire-drawing remain equally a problem to us." He remarks also that these works bear a great
resemblance in form and workmanship to the decorations of the ancient Indian deities, to the
ornaments discovered at Nineveh, and again to those of ancient Egypt; and concludes by observing,
what is doubtless true, that these nations obtained their processes from the East, and possessed
much in common both as regards peculiarities of make and style. Signor Castellani is now a political
exile from his native city; but, whether in Paris or London, we are glad to think that he will be
enabled unmolested to carry out his discoveries in the working and colouring of gold, and the
arts of enamel- and mosaic-work, to the great advantage of all lovers of good and true art.
EXAMPLES OE GOLD AND ENAMELLED JEWELLERY,
BY CASTELLANI, OF HOME AND LONDON,
WE cannot speak too highly of the exquisite taste and workmanship displayed by Signor
Oastellani in his wonderful reproductions of Greek, Etruscan, and other goldsmith's
jewellery. Certainly, with the exception of some ancient relics of the class, preserved in public
museums and some private collections, we have never met with anything approaching the delicacy of
taste and touch requisite for their production; and the International Jury of Class 33 evinced their
high appreciation of Signor Castellani's merits by awarding him a prize medal " for excellence of
design and workmanship," remarking, at the same time, that "each object exhibited by him is a
study for the archasologist, the artist, and the workman." Signor Castellani has, with true artistic
ardour and untiring perseverance, made himself master of most of the processes of the ancient
goldsmiths, and, by dint of long study and practice, in which he was aided with the valuable
assistance of the Duke Michelangelo Gaetani, has arrived at the means of reproducing, in their
most minute details, the marvellous works of ancient Greece and Etruria. He does not, however,
confine his powers to those epochs of art, but has equally well succeeded in comparatively modern
schools of art; and his collection contained facsimiles of works in the following styles:—1. The
Greek, both the mother-country and its colonies; 2. the Etruscan, the work of the ancient
inhabitants of Etruria and Central Italy; 3. the Roman, of the time of the Empire; 4. the Byzan-
tine, extending to the earlier ages of Christianity; 5. the Mediasval, extending from about the
10th century to the 16th; 6. the Renaissance, the specimens of which period were principally
taken from the finest works of Cellini.
Erom a pamphlet on "Antique Jewellery and its Revival," by Signor Castellani, printed for
private circulation, we learn that in the year 1814 the elder Castellani commenced the imitation
of French and English jewellery at Rome with great success. The works of art in gold and enamel
found in the ancient sepulchres in Etruria and Magna Gracia excited the wonder and admiration of
all who saw them, and Signor Castellani, already skilled in long practice of close imitation, deter-
mined to reproduce them, to the utmost of his ability. He became satisfied, by close investigation,
that, for the most part, all the raised ornaments were composed of various minute pieces of gold,
cleverly joined or soldered together. After assiduously trying various methods to produce the
same effect, but in vain, he at length came across some necklaces, and earrings locally known
as "navicelle," made by workmen residing in the villages of the TJmbrian Marches, principally at
St. Angelo in Vado. These, in many respects, resembled the Etruscan work, and he was astonished
to find that the traditions of the old method were still preserved and put in practice. Accordingly,
Signor Castellani obtained some of these workmen, and proceeded to cultivate their peculiar
talent. He says that, " inheriting the patience of their forefathers, and caring nothing for the
mechanical contrivances by which geometrical exactness is attained in modern jewellery, they
succeeded better than all whom we had previously employed in the imitation of that freedom of
style which is the peculiar characteristic of the art among the ancients. Among these workmen
from St. Angelo, we mention with pleasure the name of Benedetto Romanini, master of his tra-
ditional methods to our first Roman disciples in this art." "Works of this period may be divided,"
continues our author, "into ornaments for use and ornaments for purposes of sepulture: the first
are massive enough to be worn for years without injury, whilst the latter are of extraordinary
lightness. We are astonished at the fineness and delicacy of their workmanship, and are not
always able to imitate them. Both are executed in very pure gold; and it appears that the
makers used chemical and mechanical agents unknown to us, which enabled them to separate or
join pieces of gold hardly perceptible to the naked eye; their processes of smelting, soldering, and
wire-drawing remain equally a problem to us." He remarks also that these works bear a great
resemblance in form and workmanship to the decorations of the ancient Indian deities, to the
ornaments discovered at Nineveh, and again to those of ancient Egypt; and concludes by observing,
what is doubtless true, that these nations obtained their processes from the East, and possessed
much in common both as regards peculiarities of make and style. Signor Castellani is now a political
exile from his native city; but, whether in Paris or London, we are glad to think that he will be
enabled unmolested to carry out his discoveries in the working and colouring of gold, and the
arts of enamel- and mosaic-work, to the great advantage of all lovers of good and true art.