Museo P.C. Bosio Filigrana di Quattro Continenti, Campo Ligure

The starting core of this unique collection finds its “historical” origin in an auction held in London back in 1960 where, among those present was also Comm. Pietro Carlo Bosio, who, when some filigree objects were auctioned, did not hesitate to purchase them. Since then, with frequent trips abroad, he increased and enriched the collection more and more, until reaching the current size, which is still constantly growing. After careful restoration by architect Luigi Fontana, the museum today is spread over four floors and divided into several exhibition rooms. It is possible to follow an exhibition path based on the origin of the displayed works.

One will admire the remarkable quantity of pieces from Western Europe, including those produced in Italy, featuring the extraordinary aviary, the largest object in the museum, continuing through the rarities of Spain, Portugal, France, England, Sweden and Central Europe. From here one flies to a separate universe: that of Russian cloisonné art with its enamels and icons that transform the very function of filigree. Imposing in the Asian section is the area dedicated to China, with objects that immerse us in that ancient world, from the amulet pendant to the temple. Then India, but also Latin America (especially Peru) and again Africa, with objects from Ethiopia and Egypt. Finally, the sections on Campo handicrafts and the machinery explaining the processing techniques. The objects displayed in the Museum are grouped according to their geographical areas of origin; this makes it possible to identify the differences between the various processing schools. Ample space is given to Italian filigree, featuring prominent cities such as Venice, Genoa, Cortina d’Ampezzo and Florence. Characteristic of China, for example, is the use of a round silver wire as thin as a human hair and the use of materials such as ivory, turtle shell or walnut shells as a support for the filigree. Russian and Nepalese filigree are distinguished instead by the extensive use of enamels with particular attention to colors.

Indian filigree is recognizable by the variety of objects linked to local customs.