Ceramic charm hand-painted Presentosa, green
Ceramic charm hand-painted Presentosa d’Abruzzo, dry cord technique on green base
The ceramic charm with hand-painted Presentosa decoration is made of Italian ceramic and decorated by hand using the dry cord technique. The decoration of this accessory has an important symbolic meaning, it represents the “Presentosa” the finest Abruzzo jewel as well as a true masterpiece of the goldsmith’s art of eighteenth-century origins. It became famous for Gabriele D’Annunzio’s description in his work ” The triumph of death “.
In the original version, the charm Presentosa is made of gold or silver filigree and represents a star made up of shiny foil triangles with the tip pointing outwards. In the central circle, which is the result of the union of the triangles bases, there is, on a fine twist of filigree, a symbol that gives a particular meaning to the jewel, making it a true means of visual communication. This jewel, “Presentosa”, was indeed a “present” to give away to young women as a love promise. When the charm was meant to be a promise of love, at the centere there were two hearts secured with a key or a ribbon, while just one heart meant that who wore it was unmarried.
The decoration colors on the front part of Presentosa charm are green, yellow and red. The back, which is the part touching the skin or clothes, is entirely glazed in white. This gives a permanent smooth effect in order not to damage any material in contact with it. All the objects part of the brand “Fenice” are characterized by decorations with embossed glazes, which follow the rules of the traditional decorating technique ”cuerda seca” of Hispanic – Moorish origins. Derives from the use of a cord soaked in grease with which the desired design was created on a tile and then, the blank spaces were filled with colorful glazes. This technique allows to obtain chromatic effects on relief with vibrant colours. It is more suitable to flat surfaces but it is not impossible to use it on curved objects.
The dry cord decoration technique is still not widespread in Italy. In Abruzzo, the dry cord technique is performed by Marta Liberati, one of the first ceramists working with this technique in our region.
The Presentosa charm with green base is a youngish and original ceramic jewel with a strong symbolic meaning linked to old traditions. The charm is equipped with a black rubber string with a lobster clasp in stainless steel, as shown in the photo. The ceramic charm with hand-painted Presentosa will be placed in a sand-colored cardboard box with a special pad that allows it to be locked. When purchasing, to the object there will be attached a Guarantee Certificate as a warranty of the craftsmanship of the product.
Sizes: diameter 4 cm, thickness 0.4 cm.
Weight: charm + rubber string 10 g. Chain lenght: about 45 cm.
Product code: 28CFI