th
tH
# 80 JUNE 20 , 2016
# 80 june 20 , 2016
plying “rabbit skin glue”
to the frames and several
layers of Bologna plaster.
After this the design is added through a gold leaf
that has been wiped with
a pad soaked in colour.
read more about #Italian Handcrafts
ITALIAN HANDCRAFTS:
The art of goldsmithery in Latina
By Camera di commercio di Latina with Unioncamere
with particular events
such as the Holy Years and
also the presence of the
Abbeys of Valvisciolo and
Fossanova in the area.
The alloy that is generally used in Italy is the
750/1000, of which 3/4 is
fine gold and the remaining 1/4 is divided between silver and copper.
The history of pontino precious metal
work began in the fourth century B.C.
and was initially distinguished by a certain austerity, then became an element
of artistic expression with the advent of
the Roman Empire and the annexing of
much of the Hellenic world. The beauty
of the jewellery became a tool adopted
by the new political figures to show off
the importance of their positions.
The gold used by the goldsmiths was
often provided by their customers, who
noted down the weight of the material
and then compared it against that of
the finished object. Production was largely directed towards sacred and ritual
objects, which increased in conjunction
The jewellery is made almost exclusively by hand
and the process is divided
into three parts: preparation of the metal, creation
of the jewellery and finishing.
nalising the decoration.
The creation of the work
ends by “fixing” and “coating” the frame with shellac, which is adjusted with
aniline and biting bitumen, depending on the
The “laying of the gold or desired tone.
silver leaf” is carried out
by lightly wetting the fra- The Province of Latina and
me with a brush. Then a a land of myths and leflat brush charged with gends, praised by Homer
static electricity lifts the and Virgil. Places of integold leaf and places it on rest include the rationalist
architecture of Agro Ponthe frame.
tino, Circeo National Park,
Once the frame is dry, the the Abbey di Fossanova,
"burnishing" begins: seve- the Garden of Ninfa, the
ral sections are polished Temple of Jupiter Anxur
with agate stone to crea- on Monte S. Angelo, the
te glossy/matte contrasts San Magno Monastery
that enhance the aesthetic and the Madonna della
of the product by perso- Civita Sancturary.
Further subsequent processes for the precious
metal work include chiselling, embossing, lost wax
casting, engraving and
setting precious stones.
The art of goldsmithery is
also used to decorate and
embellish wooden frames,
which are prepared by ap-
20 | WE THE ITALIANS
WE THE ITALIANS | 21
www.wetheitalians.com
www.wetheitalians.com