the
recesses of the Appenines far from every centre of civilization, that
we found still in use some of the processes employed by the Etruscans.
There yet exists, in fact, in this region of Italy, a special school of
traditional jewellery, somewhat similar—not certainly in taste or
elegance of design, but at least in method and workmanship—to the
ancient art. The beautiful peasant girls of these districts, when at
their wedding feasts, wear necklaces and long earrings called navicelle, much
resembling in workmanship the antique. We procured then from St. Angelo
in Vado, a few workmen to whom we taught the art of imitating Etruscan
j'ewellery. Inheriting the patience of their forefathers, and caring
nothing for those mechanical contrivances by which geometrical
exactness is attained in modern jewellery, these men succeeded better
than all whom we had previously employed in the imitation of that
freedom of style, which is the particular characteristic of the art
among the ancients.
In
substituting arseniates for borax as solvents and reducing the solder
to an impalpable file-dust, we obtained results of a sufficiently
satisfactory nature. We profited also by the chemical studies of my
father in the colouring of gold. We dispensed, as much as possible,
with the use of the punch and of the jet. Having come to the conclusion
that certain works of the ancients, very delicately executed, must have
been done by women, we confided to intelligent workwomen that which
required the most delicacy. The result was excellent, especially in
the placing and soldering of that little granulation which is carried
over the face of most Etruscan jewellery. Nevertheless, we are
convinced that the ancients had some special chemical process for
fixing these strings of small grains of which we are ignorant; for, in
spite of all our efforts, we have been unable to reproduce some
exquisitely fine workmanship, and despair of being able to do so,
unless aided by some new scientific discoveries. We do not, however,
intend to discontinue our labours, and it is therefore with confidence,
gentlemen, that I address myself to you. If your studies of antiquity
in all its branches have brought to your notice any passages in the
classic authors which may put us on the track of discovering the secret
of which we are in search, be so good, in the interest of art, to point
them out to us, and be assured that we shall feel grateful for your
assistance. This appeal to you, gentlemen, terminates the account I
wished to lay before you of the revival of the art of
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