Octopus Sterling Silver and Crystal Tureen

Since the mid-20th century, Florentine silversmithing firm Fratelli Lisi has produced some of the finest silver crafts to come out of Europe. From elaborate floral designs — as exemplified by the company’s candleholders — to simple mushroom-shaped salt and pepper shakers, Fratelli Lisi brings elegance and imagination to all it produces.

Brothers Adriano, Lionello and Romano Lisi — sons of a baker — banded together just after World War II to establish their silversmithing workshop in Florence. At the onset, Fratelli Lisi (the first word being Italian for brothers) employed only 10 people. Building the business from the ground up, the partners and their colleagues made everything they needed, from workbenches to tools, honing their craft as they went along.

The brothers focused on techniques and forms that factory machines could not reproduce. They worked tirelessly and methodically, and soon they were creating artistic sculptures that could only be made by a deft hand and a keen eye. Fratelli Lisi artisans have long drawn inspiration from nature to craft ornamental objets d’art that often serve a utilitarian purpose. A silver turtle figurine, for instance, may also secretly be a box for hiding small items or storing a button collection. 

Not unlike Brandimarte, another Florentine silversmithing firm founded in the mid-century years that remains family-owned, Fratelli Lisi remains a family enterprise based in Florence, and the original vision and silversmithing methods have been passed down from generation to generation. For custom commissions, Fratelli Lisi designers begin by collaborating with the client, to get a rough idea of a form to sketch before production. Working from the sketch, the smiths introduce their expertise and artistry — what they collectively call "a touch of magic" — to create the final product.

On 1stDibs, find an assortment of Fratelli Lisi silver and serveware.