In the second half of the Nineteenth century, the local Vocational School was already offering classes of wood inlaying, filigree, and cabinet making and when the develop">
        
        

 

When crafts become works of art

In the second half of the Nineteenth century, the local Vocational School was already offering classes of wood inlaying, filigree, and cabinet making and when the development of tourism brought about an increased demand of souvenirs, the artistic crafts flourished and became very important for the local economy.

EBONY WORKING AND TARSIA
Ebony working consists in realizing small objects enriched by precious decorations: engravings, inlays made with different woods; mosaic with ivory, mother of pearl and precious woods.
The exotic tarcš, tarsia, is the most original technique. It was introduced in Cortina around 1881 by John Coddington who imported it from India. It consists of special inlays of chips of mother of pearl, minute pieces of woods in different colours, and thin brass and copper threads, . The decorations turn simple objects into pieces of particular elegance.

SILVER FILIGREE
In the eighteenth century some goldsmiths from Venice introduced filigree, the manufacturing of jewels made with thin silver threads, to Cortina.
In 1700 ,wedding trousseaux already featured several filigree objects: delicate brooches and hat pins, trémoi, necklaces, pins and hair clips. Patterns remind of the flowers that colour the meadows of the Ampezzo valley: edelweiss, lilies of the valley, wood anemones.

WROUGHT IRON
Embossement, chiselling and engraving are the metalworking techniques employed in this craftIron, copper and brass are the most used metals. Wrought iron artisans create decorative objects: candlesticks, chandeliers, plates, gates and railings.