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of Villa Giulia. The intense research work, which continued until the death of the promoter, had a successful following in Rome and in the other European capitals thanks to his sons Alessandro and Augusto and nephew Alfredo, who efficiently managed what had become one of the leading European companies in jewellery production. A separate theme is that of the creation, thanks to Castellani and his collaborator Luigi Podio, of the “mosaic jewels”, made of miniscule, coloured glass tesserae divided by separators in gold and not hardstone. The designed composition was melted on the plate by baking, obtaining a perfectly smooth surface. The micro mosaics contributed to taking the level of mosaic art well beyond the limits of common collectible souvenirs.
In alto: collana composta da 5 placche a frangia in oro giallo 15 Kt testurizzato, ciascuna decorata con diamante taglio rosa al centro, epoca contemporanea (Ph. Christie’s); al centro della collana: braccialetto incernierato composto da tre fasce racchiuse da finiture in filo d'oro, ciascuna divisa in due da uno scarabeo di corniola inciso, all'interno di castoni in filo metallico e cornici ondulate fiancheggiate da bastoni d'oro a coste. Circa 1860. (Ph. Sotheby’s). Sopra: bracciale in corniola incisa, perline e oro, circa 1860. (Ph. Christie’s).
Top: necklace composed of 5 textured 15 Kt gold fringe plaques, each decorated with rose-cut diamonds at the centre, contemporary (Ph. Christie’s); at the centre of the necklace: hinged bangle composed by three bands enclosed by gold wire finishes, each divided into two by a carved carnelian scarab, inside metallic wire collets and undulating frames flanked by gold ribbed batons. Circa 1860. (Ph. Sotheby’s). Above: bracelet in carved carnelian, pearls and gold, circa 1860. (Ph. Christie’s).
FASHIONABLE ANTIQUES
talented collaborators, children and family members. The name of the Castellani family relates to the invention of a new type of jewellery and goldsmithing “in the style of the ancients”, which imitated the look and the techniques of the archaeological materials, and to an intense activity of collecting and trading antiques from the peninsula, which culminated in 1926 with the transfer of the largest part of the collection to the National Etruscan Museum