During the 1980s and 1990s the commercial jewellers and great jewellery houses developed some innovatory designs, such as Bulgari, in Rome. It was also the time when famous Italian fashion designers were at the forefront of the fashion world.
The Bulgaris, of Greek origin, came to Rome in 1881. Today's flagship store in the Via Condotti, where the rich and famous bought their jewels, was opened in 1905. Bulgari is today represented worldwide.
This bracelet belongs to the Gemme Nummarie (Coin Gems) series which have become Bulgari's trademark, intermingling their Greek roots with Roman culture. In the mid-1960s Bulgari resumed the ancient tradition of mounting coins in jewellery, and since then has continued to integrate ancient coins from different countries and periods into varying modern designs. This series has proven to be one of their great successes.
Physical description
[Bracelet] Flexible yellow and white gold bracelet of Tubogas constuction mounted with a silver drachma of Alexander the Great (king, 336-323 B.C.) within a yellow gold setting formed, at the front, of two rings.
The silver drachma was minted in Macedonia. On the obverse, head of Hercules; reverse, seated figure of Zeus.
The catch is opened by squeezing the prominent bar.
All the marks described were punched by the makers, following Italian practice (they were not applied by an assay office).
Place of Origin
Valenza, Italy (made)
Date
ca. 1993 (made)
Artist/maker
Bulgari S.p.a. (jewellers)
Pier Vittorio Crova s.r.l. (goldsmiths)
Materials and Techniques
[Bracelet] Yellow and white gold. The Tubogas technique 'consists of wrapping two long gold strips with raised edges around a core - either of copper or wood. The edges then interlock onto one another, requiring no soldering. The core is then removed, either by simply drawing it out or dissolving it in acid' (D. Mascetti, and A. Triossi, Bvlgari , Milan, 1996, pp. 153-155). Where, as in the case of this bracelet, there are two golds of contrasting colour, it appears that three strips of gold must have been wound together.
Marks and inscriptions
[Bracelet] 'ALEXANDER III DER GROSSE 336-323 v. Chr.'
[Bracelet] 'BVLGARI'
[Bracelet] '750' within an elongated hexagon
[Bracelet] Five-pointed star followed by '2237 AL' within a rectangle with rounded ends
Dimensions
[Bracelet] Length: 19.7 cm, Width: 2.5 cm, Depth: 1.0 cm
Object history note
[Bracelet] The inscription identifying the coin as being from the reign of Alexander the Great is in German because this particular bracelet was ordered by the Zurich branch of Bulgari which opened in 1993. One of the systems of ordering by the individual branches is that representatives come to Rome on particular days in the year and, having seen the models on offer, place their orders.
Historical significance: The bracelet combines two characteritic features of Bulgari jewellery: the Tubogas technique, which was first used by Bulgari in the 1950s (compare the bracelet by Cartier made in 1937, M.144-1987), and the mounting of coins, a fashion which Bulgari championed from the mid-1960s. Daniela Mascetti and Amanda Triossi (see references, 1996, p. 119) describe how the mounting of coins was revived almost by accident following gifts of Roman coins to Nicolo Bulgari by his godfather to mark his wedding anniversaries.. Coins have taken on great significance in Bulgari jewellery and are referred to as 'Gemme Nummarie'.
Mascetti and Triossi suggest that
'the reason these apparently insignificant gifts have had such enormous consequences for the development of Bulgari style is that the use of coins in the context of jewellery in many ways reflects the firm's aspirations. Bulgari has always been proud of its origins, rooted in the classical Greek tradition and enhanced by Roman culture. By using ancient Greek and Roman coins in modern pieces of jewellery Bulgari is making overt reference to its Hellenic origins grafted in Rome. This confirms the attention to its cultural heritage and the necessity of continuity with the past - an idea which is very dear to the heart of Bulgari.' (1996, p.122).
Descriptive line
Bracelet of yellow and white gold mounted with a silver drachma of Alexander the Great, by Bulgari, Italy, ca. 1993
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Mascetti, Daniela and Triossi, Amanda, Bulgari. Milan: Leonardo Arte s.r.l., 1996, 'The Use of Coins' (pp. 111-133), 'The Tubogas' (pp. 151-157).
Labels and date
Simple label text
BRACELET
Yellow and white gold Tubogas strap mounted with silver drachma of Alexander the Great (king, 336-323 B.C.)
Bulgari, Rome
Made by Pier Vittorio Crova s.r.l., Valenza, Italy, ca. 1993
M.6-1998
Given by Bulgari [22/10/1998]
Materials
Silver; Gold
Subjects depicted
Alexander the Great; Zeus
Categories
Fashion; Accessories
Collection code
MET
