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 Commander Pietro Carlo Bosio, who, when some filigree items were auctioned, did not hesitate to purchase them. Since then, with frequent trips abroad, he increasingly enriched and expanded the collection, until reaching its current size, which is still constantly growing. After careful restoration by architect Luigi Fontana, the museum now spans four floors and is divided into several exhibition rooms. It is possible to follow an exhibition path based on the origin of the displayed works.

You will admire the remarkable quantity of pieces from Western Europe, including those produced in Italy, including the extraordinary aviary, the largest object in the museum, continuing with the rarities from Spain, Portugal, France, England, Sweden, and Central Europe. From here you fly into a separate universe: that of Russian ora art with its enamels and its icons that transform the very function of filigree. Impressive, in the Asian section, is the area dedicated to China, with objects that immerse us in that ancient world, from the protective pendant to the temple. Then India, but also Latin America (especially Peru), and Africa, with objects from Ethiopia and Egypt. Finally, the sections of Campo craftsmanship and the machinery that explain the processing techniques. The objects displayed in the Museum are grouped according to their geographical areas of origin; it is thus possible to identify the differences between the various schools of craftsmanship. Ample space is given to Italian filigree featuring Venetian, Genoese, Cortina d’Ampezzo, and Florentine cities as protagonists. Characteristic of China, for example, is the use of a thin round silver wire as fine as a human hair and the use of materials such as ivory, tortoise shell, or walnut shells as support for the filigree. Russian and Nepalese filigree are distinguished by the extensive use of enamels with special attention to colors.

Indian filigree is recognized through the variety of objects related to local customs.