Video laboratam scrupolosa distinctione testudinem et foedissimorum pigerrimorumque animalium testas ingentibus pretiis amptas, in quibus ipsa illa, quae placet, varietas subditis medicamentis in similitudinem veri coloratur (Seneca, De Benificiis VII 9, 2).
“ That’s the turtleshell which was worked for having very thin flakes and had been bought with high price; shells of more repellent and lazy animals whose variegation has been appreciated and dyed artificially for copying the nature” .
Ermes found a turtleshell and gained an endless delight, he was the first divinity who elicited from her, with an industrious way, his song (Homeric anthem ).In the Homeric anthem “ To Ermes “ it belongs to VII century of newborn God : the musical instrument was called “lovable toy “, it was got from the shell tortoise, when god had pulled out the substance with his iron gray blade. So the shell of tortoise becomes an Ermes attribute.Cratete was been a philosopher, he lived between IV and III century B.C., he attested the utilisation of shell tortoise like birthplace, it was considered useful to cure childish diseases.Plinio told us the spreading of taste for objects obtained by marine animals, in particular tortoise, after punic wars and with commercial relations with orient. Among the gifts that Indian ambassador gave to Alexander the Great, when he arrived to Indo- onshore in the 326 B.C. there were “…lizards skin and tortoise shell “.From India to Africa got to Rome specimen of marine and terrestrial tortoises.In the first century B.C. in Rome the lust spread among people which was linked to the manufacturing of precious tortoises, valuable furnitures, above all beds covered by tortoises with ivory and tortoise with silver.The top of the manufacturing had had in the Chaesar’age, when he come back to Rome after thriumph over Egypt of Tolomeo XIV, so Arsinoe made to cover trophies with fish scale tortoises.In Alessandria, in the Cleopatra’s royal palace, together with ivory which covered the entrances hall on doors, it had been put Indian shell tortoises.They were even quoted by Virgilian as a covering for door of rich people.
The art of turtleshell in Naples
In the August of 1863 the Duke of Gravina pays three dukedoms to Matteo de Turris for a “nouled tortoise tobacco box”. The taste for luxury objects which are very decorated favorised a network of relationships among the specialists of different fields, in fact tortoise- craftsmen and tortoise goldsmiths cooperated with new manufacturers of musical instruments and with watchmakes, with gunsmith and cabinet-maker. It has been manufactured in laid furnitures in which tortoises are used with other precious materials.
However in this period manufactured tortoise has a predominant role and it is often shaped all-accomplished.The technique used was called “ piqué “, its origin is uncertain, it consists to encrust stitches, threads or metal plate on warmed up tortoise; sometimes they were used precious materials such as : gold, other materials or mother of pearl. When tortoise becomes cold, it contracts itself and it retains decorum.That technique develops in all Europe between the end of XVII and the beginning of XVIII century, it allowed to decorate precious objects in several shapes proposed by goldsmith.In Naples beautiful specimen were produced .Famous ateliers belong to tobacconists Giuseppe e G. Serao, N. de Turris and A. Laurentis who was elected goldsmith of royal court in the 1747.As the invention of technique “ piqué” was assigned to Laurenzini, it’s not impossible that he could be a discendent and he had followed his family’s tradition.Giovanni Tagliaferro known with the name “ teacher of tortoise tobacco box “ he had his workshop near to janitor’s lodge of S. Saverio near Old Palace; in the 1703 he sent to clergyman, Paolo Carafa of Teatino in Palermo, a series of tobacco-boxes, ten of them decorated with ivory and tortoise and some fans.G. Serao’s masterpiece is “portable chemist “ belonged to Queen Sofia M. of Denmark (17010-1770); it was signed and dated in 1731. It consists of a box containing crystal small bottles, plates supported by plinth, a goblet and a teaspoon.Marvellous examples of goldsmith are plates, plates supported by plinths, boxes, the objects for desks, chandeliers, large mirrors manufactured in that period and today kept and displayed in the Museums or in private collections.
The art of turtleshell in Torre del Greco
The 23th june 1878 in Torre del Greco was built a school for coral manufacturing, its aim was to give to local artisans a suitable technique and artistique preparation for improving an aesthetic taste.After 10 years that school was rearranged and called “ School of coral incision and industrial decorative art “ thanks to improvement of technic manufacturing of organic materials, like mother-of-pearl, shells, molten, ivory, horn and tortoise.The director of the school from 1886 to 1934 was E. Taverna, he gave a new impulse for technic teaching with a drawing up in the 1909 of “ A new rational method for basic education “; based on technic of learning of manufacturing materials which was developed into different kinds of level until the improvement of theoretical and practical knowledge.Precious tortoise manufacturing are produced here and showed in important exhibition, a typical examples are the magnificent writing-desk and two tortoise chairs; then ivory and mother-of-pearl with drapers embellished with coral fringes; which had achieved a silver medal in the 1898 at the Natural Exhibition of Turin.In the 1932 that laboratory was closed for high costs of production and for difficulties, in that years, to find raw materials.
Notwithstanding production of tortoise manufacturing has been gone on by local craftsmen who kept and handed down until today the secret of manufacturing, they have produced arts work which are appreciated throughout the world.
