Buccellati Italian Silver Chimpanzee Figure
About the Item
- Creator:Buccellati (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 13 in (33.02 cm)Width: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)Depth: 8 in (20.32 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Mid-20th Century
- Condition:Deep patina.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
Buccellati
In 1919, Mario Buccellati (1891–1965) launched his eponymous jewelry house with the opening of his first shop in Milan and quickly built a reputation for his richly embellished traforato, or finely pierced goldwork. The Ancona, Italy–born jeweler’s workmanship was in a class of its own. His pieces were exquisite, yet the gemstones themselves were never too flashy, elevated instead by the designs’ intricate metalsmithing.
A love of tradition set Mario and his fine jewelry house apart in the competitive Italian market and remains a point of pride for the family, which is still closely tied to the business even as it is now owned by Richemont, a luxury conglomerate that also counts Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels among its subsidiaries.
A young Mario Buccellati apprenticed with famed goldsmith Beltrami e Besnati in the early 1900s, although many of the goldsmithing techniques synonymous with Buccellati go as far back as the Italian Renaissance. The family lineage is also said to include 18th-century jeweler Contardo Buccellati. Owing to the founder’s advanced metalworking skills, the brand is known for designs that feature metal with the delicacy of lace and draw on the wonders of the natural world. The house’s work is typified by intricate gemstone settings that emphasize their natural color and dense engraving techniques that transform the texture of gold.
One of the time-honored engraving techniques that has come to characterize Buccellati’s work — techniques that require apprenticeships and training in the fine jeweler’s workshops — is called rigato. It involves the engraving of a precious metal with a series of parallel lines to achieve a fabric-like effect.
Rigato is on luminous display in the house’s Macri collection of earrings, cuff bracelets and other accessories. A painstaking attention to detail is pronounced in the celebrated Macri, Bartolomeo and Unica collections — witness the striking honeycomb motif, a house signature, that characterizes the Unica collection’s Caterina bracelet, for example. The Macri collection was the work of Mario’s son, Gianmaria Buccellati, an award-winning jeweler and internationally renowned silversmith who worked to bring the brand to the global stage by overseeing the opening of boutiques in Tokyo, Paris, California and elsewhere.
In 1951, Mario opened his first store in New York City; today the company operates boutiques worldwide. In 2019, the company celebrated its centennial with a new flagship in Paris and the Vintage collection, which features some of its most enduring designs.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of authentic Buccellati jewelry, including earrings, necklaces, rings and other accessories.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Buccellati Dramatic Sterling Silver Octopus Seafood Shell BowlBy BuccellatiLocated in New York, NYDramatic sterling silver seafood serving bowl. Made by Buccellati in Italy. Two joined scallop-shells bowls on scallop-shell supports. A traditional fo...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Pair of Buccellati Sterling Silver Octopus Seafood Shell BowlsBy BuccellatiLocated in New York, NYPair of dramatic sterling silver seafood serving bowls. Made by Buccellati in Italy. Each: Two joined scallop-shells bowls on scallop-shell supports. A...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Buccellati Torchon Sterling Silver Dinner Set for 12 with 96 PiecesBy BuccellatiLocated in New York, NYTorchon sterling silver dinner set for 12. Made by Buccellati in Italy. This set comprises 96 pieces (dimensions in inches): Forks: 12 dinner forks (8 1/2), 12 dessert forks (7 1/2), and 12 salad forks (7), spoons: 12 dessert/soup spoons (6 7/8), 12 round soup spoons...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Buccellati Grande Imperiale Sterling Silver Dinner & Lunch Set for 16By BuccellatiLocated in New York, NYGrande Imperiale sterling silver dinner and lunch set. Made by Buccellati in Italy. This set comprises 216 pieces: Forks: 16 dinner forks (8 3/4) 16 lunch...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Revival Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Pretty Antique European Silver Flower OrnamentLocated in New York, NYEuropean silver ornament, ca 1920. Single plain hollow stem sprouting 3 flowers with ripe, splayed petals and prominent stamen surrounding 3 tight and tall buds. A pretty, hopeful or...Category
Early 20th Century European Edwardian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver
- Antique English Victorian Sterling Silver Ladies Satin ShoeLocated in New York, NYVictorian sterling silver lady’s shoe. Made in Birmingham, England, 1890. Dainty slipper with applied bow and satin-textured finish. Plain heal and sole. F...Category
Antique 1890s English Victorian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Attributed to Buccellati, 20th Century Sterling Silver CapercaillieBy BuccellatiLocated in North Miami, FLPresenting a remarkable 20th-century silver capercaillie sculpture, exquisitely attributed to the distinguished Buccellati workshop. This piece captures the essence of the capercaill...Category
20th Century Italian Animal Sculptures
MaterialsStone, Sterling Silver
- Mario Buccellati Vintage 800, Italian Silver Duckling FigurineBy Mario BuccellatiLocated in Braintree, GBMario Buccellati vintage 800. Italian silver duckling figurine. Made Italy, Milano, Ca.1930's Fully Hallmarked. The furry duckling figurine i...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver
- Mario Buccellati Italian 925 Sterling Silver Fallow, Deer FigurineBy Mario BuccellatiLocated in Braintree, GBMario Buccellati Italian 925 sterling silver fallow - deer figurine. Made in Italy, circa 1950s Fully hallmarked. Dimensions: Length x width x...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver
- Mario Buccellati, a Rare and Exceptional Italian Silver GoatBy Mario BuccellatiLocated in New York, NYMario Buccellati, a rare and exceptional Italian silver goat circa 1940. Made in Milan Italy. Very fine quality and workmanship and very large in size. Measures: 12" high x 14" w...Category
20th Century Italian Animal Sculptures
MaterialsSilver
- Gianmaria Buccellati, a Rare and Exceptional Italian Silver BobcatBy Gianmaria BuccellatiLocated in New York, NYGianmaria Buccellati, a rare and exceptional Italian silver bobcat, circa 1990s. Made in Milan, Italy. Retail price was $72,000 USD + Tax. Very fine quality and workmanship...Category
20th Century Italian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSilver
- Mario Buccellati Italian 925 Sterling Silver St Bernard's Dog FigurineBy Mario BuccellatiLocated in Braintree, GBMario Buccellati Italian 925 sterling silver St Bernard's dog sculpture. Made in Italy, circa 1950s Fully hallmarked. The silver sculpture of a St. Bernard dog with a barrel ar...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
What Made the Italian Luxury-Jewelry Brand Buccellati So Famous?
Benchmark of Palm Beach weighs in on the "Prince of Goldsmiths."
See Why Buccellati’s Intricate Jewels Have Been Coveted for More Than a Century
A deluxe new book explores the celebrated fifth-generation Italian jeweler’s heritage and inimitable style.