Influence of Ancient Jewelry Art on Formation of Stile of Castellani Workshop in the Middle–End of the 19th Century

One of the trends of historicism, a style widely spread in the 19th century, was an interest in antiquity. It was reflected in all spheres of the artistic life of society, including the jewelry. An important role in promoting ancient jewelry was played by Italy, where in the middle of the 19th century a struggle for the independence of the country took place (Risorgimento). It made national motives in art become quite trendy. These factors influenced the artistic path of the Italian jewelry firm Castellani, which flourished by the middle of the 19th century. Fortunato Pio Castellani and his two sons Alessandro and Augusto became famous as the most well-known masters of the “archaeological styles”. Castellani firm managed to revive the technique of Etruscan granulation and filigree. Until now no attempt has been made to specify the nature of the ancient influence on the works made by the family. This study examines the works of Castellani in comparison with mass archaeological jewelry of the 5th – 4th centuries BC, which makes it possible to find out which types of Greek jewelry became the basis for the works of the company. In addition, an attempt to trace the evolution of the company's style was made.