THE RENOWNED "BESTIARIO" BY FRASCAROLO & C.
In my work as jewellery expert, I have seldom found a lady’s jewellery box that did not contain at least an animalier brooch, bracelet or even a ring, ranging from one of Cartier’s extremely precious felines to anonymous but amusing puppies and birds. The modelling and interpretation of animal forms has always been a constant in the history of jewellery, from the naturalistic reproduction of insects and snakes in the 19th century to the dragonflies, swans, peacocks and even bats that populated Art Nouveau jewellery.
Although its popularity waned temporarily in the art deco period, dominated by abstract geometric compositions, animalier jewellery made a comeback in the mid Thirties and, since then, has been re-proposed in a wide variety of shapes and designs. Frascarolo & C. of Valenza, which secured international renown with its “Bestiario” and “Bestiario Feroce” collection created between 1966 and 1971, is one of the leading Italian creators of animalier jewellery. The firm, founded in 1949 by Rino Frascarolo (1928-1976) and Aldo Lenti (1910 -1982) with the mark 347 AL, started out producing mediumpriced jewellery, subsequently specialising in the modelling of haute joaillerie using platinum and precious stones and becoming a supplier of some of the most high prestige Italian jewellers: Zendrini and Fasano in Turin, Missiaglia in Venice, Verga, Cusi, Faraone and Pederzani in Milan, Settepassi in Florence, Massoni and Masenza in Rome, Chantecler in Capri, Fecarotta in Catania.
When Milanese designer and sculptor Renzo Basini joined the firm, it started to use the lost-wax casting technique to produce limited editions of particular brooches, bracelets and rings depicting strange, cartoon-like imaginary animals with a polychrome enamel décor that makes them particularly recognisable and attractive.
Subsequently, another series of animals of the savanna (tigers, lions, zebras, giraffes and vultures) was to form the so-called “Bestiario Feroce” collection. All the items produced scored an incredible success on the market and the animals appeared on ladies’ lipstick cases and powder compacts, umbrella handles, pill boxes and handbag watch cases and on men’s cuff-links, lighters and key-holders. Since 1967, their authenticity is guaranteed by a small oval plaque with the wording FC, MODELE DEPOSÉ, MADE IN ITALY, 347 AL, 750/18k welded inside the jewels.
In 1970, the firm opened a representative office in New York and the US market, where Cartier’s and David Webb’s animalier jewellery was already very popular, was to absorb a large swathe of these sculptural jewels of considerable size and weight. Rino Frascarolo’s ambitious sales strategy promoted the development, for the first time on the Italian scene, of a recognisable collection of high-end elite jewellery, creating a brand that brings the world of jewellery closer to that of the Italian designers who were becoming the most sought-after stylists worldwide. This isolated and memorable endeavour can be considered even more extraordinary in a context such as that of Valenza where extraordinary craftsmen have always created masterpieces for international maisons without ever having the strength or the will to impose their brand on the market. Frascarolo & C ceased to exist in 1976 on the dramatic premature death of Rino but some of his models are still copied and imitated today. In the upcoming jewellery auction of March 15, Bolaffi will present, together with jewels by Cartier, Buccellati, Fred, Tiffany, Musy and other leading firms of Turin, a Frascarolo bracelet, a gold and enamel bear of the “Bestiario Feroce”.
By Maria Carla Manenti
Although its popularity waned temporarily in the art deco period, dominated by abstract geometric compositions, animalier jewellery made a comeback in the mid Thirties and, since then, has been re-proposed in a wide variety of shapes and designs. Frascarolo & C. of Valenza, which secured international renown with its “Bestiario” and “Bestiario Feroce” collection created between 1966 and 1971, is one of the leading Italian creators of animalier jewellery. The firm, founded in 1949 by Rino Frascarolo (1928-1976) and Aldo Lenti (1910 -1982) with the mark 347 AL, started out producing mediumpriced jewellery, subsequently specialising in the modelling of haute joaillerie using platinum and precious stones and becoming a supplier of some of the most high prestige Italian jewellers: Zendrini and Fasano in Turin, Missiaglia in Venice, Verga, Cusi, Faraone and Pederzani in Milan, Settepassi in Florence, Massoni and Masenza in Rome, Chantecler in Capri, Fecarotta in Catania.
When Milanese designer and sculptor Renzo Basini joined the firm, it started to use the lost-wax casting technique to produce limited editions of particular brooches, bracelets and rings depicting strange, cartoon-like imaginary animals with a polychrome enamel décor that makes them particularly recognisable and attractive.
Subsequently, another series of animals of the savanna (tigers, lions, zebras, giraffes and vultures) was to form the so-called “Bestiario Feroce” collection. All the items produced scored an incredible success on the market and the animals appeared on ladies’ lipstick cases and powder compacts, umbrella handles, pill boxes and handbag watch cases and on men’s cuff-links, lighters and key-holders. Since 1967, their authenticity is guaranteed by a small oval plaque with the wording FC, MODELE DEPOSÉ, MADE IN ITALY, 347 AL, 750/18k welded inside the jewels.
In 1970, the firm opened a representative office in New York and the US market, where Cartier’s and David Webb’s animalier jewellery was already very popular, was to absorb a large swathe of these sculptural jewels of considerable size and weight. Rino Frascarolo’s ambitious sales strategy promoted the development, for the first time on the Italian scene, of a recognisable collection of high-end elite jewellery, creating a brand that brings the world of jewellery closer to that of the Italian designers who were becoming the most sought-after stylists worldwide. This isolated and memorable endeavour can be considered even more extraordinary in a context such as that of Valenza where extraordinary craftsmen have always created masterpieces for international maisons without ever having the strength or the will to impose their brand on the market. Frascarolo & C ceased to exist in 1976 on the dramatic premature death of Rino but some of his models are still copied and imitated today. In the upcoming jewellery auction of March 15, Bolaffi will present, together with jewels by Cartier, Buccellati, Fred, Tiffany, Musy and other leading firms of Turin, a Frascarolo bracelet, a gold and enamel bear of the “Bestiario Feroce”.
By Maria Carla Manenti