Unique, Historical Amethyst Geode and Silver Sculpture by Buccellati--"The Garden of Eden"
Unique, Historical Amethyst Geode and Silver Sculpture by Buccellati--"The Garden of Eden"
Milan, Italy
For more than a century, a timeless design aesthetic and refined craftsmanship have been at the focal point of Buccellati jewellery creations. The house's persistent desire to create objects of rare beauty has established Buccellati's distinct, inimitable style. Boasting a distinguished Milanese heritage, Buccellati has become renowned for its subtle, yet distinctive style that evokes the glamour of the past and remaining relevant in the modern world.
Bonham's is offering one of Buccellati's most extraordinary creations, a father and son collaboration unlike anything seen before. Known as "The Garden of Eden," this astonishing piece was designed by master goldsmith Mario Buccellati in the 1950s. The draught for this gemstone and precious metal was stored the vault until son and genius jeweler Gianmaria Buccellati made his father's vision a reality.
Under Gianmaria's supervision, teams of gold and silversmiths spent close to five years crafting the 72 pieces that capture the story of the creation of the world from the book of Genesis. Set in a brilliant amethyst geode, the center point of this exceptional innovation are Adam and Eve and the serpent. Each of these central elements is finely crafted from 18K gold. The spectacular central characters surround a silver tree of life ornamented with exquisitely fashioned golden apples. Encompassing the central figures are waves of sterling silver animals. There is a menagerie of meticulously hewn sterling birds such as owl, stork, eagle, flamingo, parrot, penguin, pelican and duck, among others. Silver forest creatures include the giraffe, lion, zebra, deer, bear, ibex, camel, fox, tiger, elephant and more. Sea life includes whale, octopus, turtle, otter, dolphin, shark and coral. The fauna is punctuated by silver seas and a variety of flora comprising of palms, ferns, cactus, saplings branches and leaves. Of this great menagerie of anthropomorphic figurines, 7 creatures are fixed while 43 are detachable. There are also 19 other removable elements. In all, there are 72 precious metal creations with life-like detail that adorn this spectacular amethyst geode art piece.
The craftsmanship and style of the House of Buccellati are adapted from five centuries of Italian art. Many renowned Italian artists were goldsmiths before they became sculptors, painters and architects. Masters such as Botticelli, Brunelleschi, Donatello and Benvenuto Cellini have given society works of elevated goldsmithing to admire and emulate. To this heritage, Buccellati simply added its own inspiration and dedication.
Technique and ability have passed from father to son, as has the gift of creating surprise. Crafting perfect objects using extraordinary stones and rare techniques have given the House of Buccellati museum provenance. The exhibition "Buccellati: Art in Gold, Silver and Gems," a retrospective of the work of Mario and Gianmaria Buccellati was a highlight at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Another exposition, "Buccellati, Timeless Art" was inaugurated at The State Museum of Moscow at the Kremlin.
View it on
Time, Location
Auction House
Unique, Historical Amethyst Geode and Silver Sculpture by Buccellati--"The Garden of Eden"
Milan, Italy
For more than a century, a timeless design aesthetic and refined craftsmanship have been at the focal point of Buccellati jewellery creations. The house's persistent desire to create objects of rare beauty has established Buccellati's distinct, inimitable style. Boasting a distinguished Milanese heritage, Buccellati has become renowned for its subtle, yet distinctive style that evokes the glamour of the past and remaining relevant in the modern world.
Bonham's is offering one of Buccellati's most extraordinary creations, a father and son collaboration unlike anything seen before. Known as "The Garden of Eden," this astonishing piece was designed by master goldsmith Mario Buccellati in the 1950s. The draught for this gemstone and precious metal was stored the vault until son and genius jeweler Gianmaria Buccellati made his father's vision a reality.
Under Gianmaria's supervision, teams of gold and silversmiths spent close to five years crafting the 72 pieces that capture the story of the creation of the world from the book of Genesis. Set in a brilliant amethyst geode, the center point of this exceptional innovation are Adam and Eve and the serpent. Each of these central elements is finely crafted from 18K gold. The spectacular central characters surround a silver tree of life ornamented with exquisitely fashioned golden apples. Encompassing the central figures are waves of sterling silver animals. There is a menagerie of meticulously hewn sterling birds such as owl, stork, eagle, flamingo, parrot, penguin, pelican and duck, among others. Silver forest creatures include the giraffe, lion, zebra, deer, bear, ibex, camel, fox, tiger, elephant and more. Sea life includes whale, octopus, turtle, otter, dolphin, shark and coral. The fauna is punctuated by silver seas and a variety of flora comprising of palms, ferns, cactus, saplings branches and leaves. Of this great menagerie of anthropomorphic figurines, 7 creatures are fixed while 43 are detachable. There are also 19 other removable elements. In all, there are 72 precious metal creations with life-like detail that adorn this spectacular amethyst geode art piece.
The craftsmanship and style of the House of Buccellati are adapted from five centuries of Italian art. Many renowned Italian artists were goldsmiths before they became sculptors, painters and architects. Masters such as Botticelli, Brunelleschi, Donatello and Benvenuto Cellini have given society works of elevated goldsmithing to admire and emulate. To this heritage, Buccellati simply added its own inspiration and dedication.
Technique and ability have passed from father to son, as has the gift of creating surprise. Crafting perfect objects using extraordinary stones and rare techniques have given the House of Buccellati museum provenance. The exhibition "Buccellati: Art in Gold, Silver and Gems," a retrospective of the work of Mario and Gianmaria Buccellati was a highlight at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Another exposition, "Buccellati, Timeless Art" was inaugurated at The State Museum of Moscow at the Kremlin.
Time, Location
Auction House
