"Longobardo" Fragment — Gilt & Burnished 800 Silver Repoussé Plaque by Orafo in View Watchlist >
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Lot # F400
System ID # 29937871
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"Longobardo" Fragment — Gilt & Burnished 800 Silver Repoussé Plaque by Orafo in
A hand-worked 800 silver plaque cast in the form of an ancient fragment, the surface rendered in deep repoussé with a coiling design of stylized waves, scrolling foliage, and a central six-petaled rosette. The composition draws directly on Longobard (Lombard) metalwork of the early medieval period — the interlaced, tightly wound linework characteristic of that goldsmithing tradition. Selective fire-gilding pools across the raised passages in warm gold, set against a burnished, oxidized ground that reads nearly black in the recesses.
Produced by an Orafo in Buja (goldsmith of Buja) in the Friuli region of Udine, Italy — an area with a long documented tradition of artisan metalworking. The accompanying maker's guarantee card identifies the piece as a "Frammento 'Longobardo' in Argento 800 dorato e brunito" — an original repoussé and cast fragment in gilt and burnished 800 silver, hand-worked (lavorazione a mano) and dated 1994. The plaque is signed in the lower field, matting-mounted and framed under a wide white molded frame. .
History
The Longobards (Lombards) ruled much of Italy from the 6th through 8th centuries, and their goldsmiths left a distinctive body of work — cross-hatched interlace, dense scrollwork, and stamped rosettes worked in gold and silver. The goldsmithing town of Buja, near Udine in Friuli, carries a heritage of the trade that reaches back centuries; this fragment is a modern homage to that regional lineage, cast and hand-finished to evoke an excavated relic.
CONDITION
Excellent with no damage. The gilding shows the intended pooled, worn appearance across the raised design — a deliberate finish, not loss. The oxidized ground and irregular fragment edge are part of the artist's design. Housed in a clean white molded frame with cream matting.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- Overall (framed): 8 3/8" H × 8 3/8" W × 7/8" D
- Visible plaque: 3 1/2" × 3 1/2"
- Material: 800 silver, fire-gilt and burnished
- Technique: Repoussé (sbalzo) and casting (fusione), hand-worked
- Maker: Orafo in Buja, Udine, Italy
- Dated: 1994
- Signed lower field; accompanied by maker's guarantee card
