ORIGIN
I quite liked the idea of the eagle as an important and royal animal – and so it is as a matter of fact – and this is where the series “ALI REALI” (ROYAL WINGS) takes its name from.
The eagle symbolises strength and might – personally I have always been very attracted to national flags that feature an eagle or at least countries that have an eagle in their symbolism.This is a clear-cut well-defined theoretical idea, which for us, creators, must then be expressed through a concrete, practical application: this is how the production phase begins and with it, this exciting pathway to research every component and the right suppliers who, combined with our in-house know-how, will lead to the actual birth of the conceived object.
This itinerary is a DYNAMIC one of course, in all senses, and one which, at times, leads me to cover miles and miles, by car or train, in search of motivated collaborators, travelling the length and breadth of Italy: a land so dense and proactive, the land of the WORLD’S TOP CRAFTSMANSHIP.
DESCRIPTION
The “ROYAL WINGS” series is a true and proper “manifest” of our craft skills, often enough wrongly limited and reduced to the sole capacity to work in wrought iron; this is certainly essential to our production process but it is in no way the only one.
To define this series (and the many others featured in the catalogue) as the result of blacksmithing is rather inaccurate and not pertinent to reality:
“Royal Wings” feature a load-bearing structure in iron, but:
there are also brass wings – not stamped, mind you, but true die cast! And welded on those iron arches that outline the design of the whole series.
The lower part of the chandelier and its central rod (black in the larger 12 light version and gold in the small 6 light version) is in turned wood – not “wooden paste”, i.e. some kind of resin – here we are talking solid wood, which is hand turned and then carved, also manually (see the recurring round band motive along the wooden shaft – there is one on the bottom part too).
Crystal pendants: amber in colour, surrounded by a double row of pearl-strings made of small beads of polished glass.
CONCEPT
So we are talking about 5 different materials (iron, brass, wood, glass, crystal) that compose a finished product.
I often say: I am not a merchant of iron, or brass, or glass, or crystal, or wood, but of a finished product that blends all 5 materials and that should look inviting and pleasant – IT IS THE SAME AS WITH COOKING: when chefs (Michelin starred or not) prepare a complex hearty dish, what are they in fast offering and serving? For instance, when preparing an exquisite dish of “cacciucco” (fish soup), are the chefs trying and selling you prawns, octopus, mussels, fish and bread? No, they are not! They are composing a symphony of ingredients to obtain a final result that will be both convincing and significant.
This cuisine metaphor always helps me explain what it is that I do.
DESTINATION
So if one must keep to the cuisine metaphor, let it be International cuisine then: the “Royal Wings” collection is presently on display in the studio of a major Shanghai designer, who is using it as an example to illustrate our company, explaining and showing the collection to his customers.
CONCLUSIONS
Therefore we can say we are CHEFS/MASTER CRAFTSMEN!
Jacopo Gallo
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