We the Italians December 28, 2014 - 50 | Page 24

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# 50 • DECEMBER 28 , 2014

# 50 • DECEMBER 28 , 2014

read more about #Italian Handcrafts

ITALIAN HANDCRAFTS:
LISIO SILK
M

anifattura Arte della Seta
Lisio (the Lisio Silk Art Factory) was
established in Florence in 1906 by
Giuseppe Lisio, a determined and
enterprising man from Abruzzo.
Trained in the field as a representative of Luigi Osnago di Milan, an
important weaving factory that participated in the Exposition Universelle of 1900 in Paris, Lisio nurtured
the dream of establishing his own
company to match the splendours
of Italian Renaissance silk weaving.
For years he collected photographs of artworks, antique fabric
samples and books, and complied
documents from visits to museums,
churches and palaces. He learned
to appreciate the beauty and quality of Italian-made fabrics from the
golden age of silk artistry, which he
chose as the leitmotif and purpose
of his life.

combination technique, yarns, colours and
decorations.
The foundation produces exquisite cut, uncut
and ciselé velvets, and brocades with silks,
gold and silver woven on ancient hand looms. The products may follow classical designs, handed down within the textile tradition,
or can be specially designed according to
the requirements of the customer.
The fabrics produced by Arte della Seta Lisio
enjoyed international success, which continued after the death of its founder, in 1943,
through the work of his daughter Fidalma,
who established Fondazione Arte della Seta
Lisio (the Lisio Silk Art Foundation) in 1971 to
pursue her father’s goals.
As part of its art work, the Lisio Foundation
has experimented with the introduction of
horsehair, a fibre that is not commonly used
to make fabrics. It was used in a project by
the artist Francesco Carone for the “banner”
of the Palio di Siena in 2011. The use of this
fibre in weaving is only possible on a manual
loom, which allows the yarn to be inserted
into the weaving by hand.

BY CAMERA DI COMMERCIO DI FIRENZE WITH
UNIONCAMERE

IMAGES © JFONDAZIONE ARTE DELLA
SETA LISIO

The goal he constantly pursued
was excellence in woven products
with pure silk weft and warp. He
paid obsessive attention to details,
in his search for a harmonious aesthetic result achieved by the right

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