Bracelet in gilt silver filigree and faceted glass paste

This wonderful bracelet, in silver and gilt silver filigree with blue, finely faceted glass pastes bears two silver hallmarks:

• the fineness of silver indicating a title of 800/1000;
• the silversmith’s hallmark: a lozenge with his registration number (n°19) and his province (GE – Genova). This hallmark belongs to the company “La Filigrana” of Antonio Oliveri, active until early 1970s.

Between 1850 – 1880 many workshops were producing filigree in Genova. Among them, filigree-maker Antonio Grasso and his five sons created a company for the manufacture of high quality filigree (around 1870) where about forty people were employed. One of his coworkers, Antonio Oliveri, eventually decided to open a workshop in 1884 in his hometown, Campo Ligure. According to tradition, it is said that he moved back there due to a cholera outbreak in Genova, but it is likely that his decision was mostly taken because of the lower labour cost. His move was soon followed by other artisans and in a relatively short time the town became famous for the processing of filigree.

Campo Ligure (Genova – Italy), 1940s – 1950s

References:
“Campo Ligure – La filigrana, l’arte di ‘lavorare il filo’”, catalogo del Museo della Filigrana Pietro Carlo Bosio, a cura di Enrico Bongera e Riccardo Bottero, Sagep Editori, 2003