17-04-2025
Buccellati pays tribute to nature during Milan Design Week
Carefully sculpted life-like representations of furry animals came to life in acclaimed Italian brand Buccellati's exhibition Naturalia during Milan Design Week. Meticulously and beautifully carved, the latest creations from one of the House's most beloved silver collections, Furry Animals, encompassing flatware, elegant bowls and sculptural objects with life-like recreations of the natural world, were displayed amid a verdant setting seemingly so real visitors felt as if they were momentarily wandering through a lush forest.
The experience was heightened thanks to the work of Balich Wonder Studio, an integrated entertainment group responsible for the creative concept and execution of the exhibition, which included site-specific installations and soundscapes. The presentation in many ways acted as a momentary escape from the outside city life of Milan and transported visitors through three distinct natural realms: mountainous terrains, the magical allure of the forests, and the serenity of the sea.
The experience of the journey was heightened through Studio Mary Lennox, a Berlin-based creative studio specializing in botanical design, which created the wondrous botanical installations alongside digital interventions. The result was a dream-like, otherworldly ambiance that transported visitors into a sublime natural realm.
Buccellati's Furry Animals come to life within this environment—so intricately crafted with their silver filaments bringing to life the textures and fur—that they appear extraordinarily real.
'We are always inspired by nature,' said Maria Cristina Buccellati, Global Communications Director of the brand and third generation of the renowned House of Buccellati. 'Animals are one of our greatest sources of inspiration and so for this year's presentation I suggested to do something purely decorative with animals.'
The technique used to create such life-like renditions of furry animals Buccellati says is a method that the House has been using since the sixties invented by her father. Each animal, explains Buccellati, takes several months to a year and a half. It took eight months for example to create the deer due to its size.
'These are not functional objects—they are purely decorative,' she adds. 'We have been making jewelry and silverware since 1919. During Covid, since we were confined to our homes, I learned the art of wellbeing at home and began working more with our silverware and how to promote it.'
Prior to Covid, she explains, tableware wasn't a priority since many people often went out for dinner. 'The art of receiving didn't exist,' she says. All of this changed during Covid when people had to spend more time at home. 'We began appreciating our time at home and learned how to receive people.'
The focus on the House's meticulous art of silverware and the beauty of these sculpted animals in silver derives from a new importance given to home décor, welcoming guests and appreciating one's everyday surroundings. These lifelike representations celebrate nature's beauty while appreciating the art of receiving at home.
