Canestrelli

Witches' mirrors

Canestrelli

Witches' mirrors

"A valuable source of inspiration is the history of art. From the paintings of the most famous Flemish artists, Jan van Eyck, Quentin Metsys, to name a few, or Italian artists such as Parmigianino, Bellini and Caravaggio, the witch mirrors - also known as "Sorcière" - are freely drawn."


After earning a degree in Architecture in 1996, Stefano Coluccio decided to continue the family craft started by his maternal grandfather, the carver Emilio Canestrelli, and continued by his mother Manuela. Today his workshop a few steps away from the Gallerie dell'Accademia is a bit smaller than the historical one, but they continue to make sophisticated and elegant mirrors, created with old craftsmanship techniques which become real modern furnishings. Produced entirely by hand and, as far as the frame is concerned, using gouache gilding techniques, these mirrors are mainly convex (traditionally corresponding to a portion of the magic sphere used by witches) and since ancient times have been considered a good luck charm for homes, granting protection to its inhabitants. In French-speaking countries they are known as "oeil de sorcière" or eyes of the witch. They are also called "bankers' mirrors" for their ability to reflect a visual angle much greater than a normal mirror, a characteristic that makes them particularly suitable to keep an eye on the spaces not directly visible to bankers, money changers, and goldsmiths. Stefano Coluccio's mirrors are all different from each other  in their materials, their different chromatic shades, and their varying reflective capacity.

Canestrelli – gli specchi delle streghe di Stefano Coluccio


Venezia

DISCOVER ALL THE ARTISANAL PRODUCTS

Product added to compare.