On December 6, the House of Filigree opened its doors in the city of Porto with the aim of extolling and promoting one of the oldest and most prestigious techniques of goldsmithing: that of filigree.
The House of Filigree is born by the hands of Luisa and Pedro Rosas, sons of David Rosas - founder of the company that bears his name, in the high jewelry and watchmaking - belonging to the fifth generation of a family with links to goldsmithing since the mid-19th century. , explains Luísa Rosas.
Located in the heart of the city of Porto, in an emblematic building of the nineteenth century with about 400m2, the House of Filigree integrates three aspects: Museum, Atelier and Boutique.
The Museum proposes an immersive journey through the universe and history of the art of Portuguese filigree with the curatorship of Paulo Valente. The permanent exhibition entitled "Portuguese Filigrees. From the expertise of technique to the elegance of use" relies on a collection of pieces of the most emblematic typologies dating from the nineteenth, twentieth, and 21st centuries, as well as a set of various instruments used in the production of this technique.
In the first nucleus of the exhibition route, where the technique is explained – from the casting of metals to the execution of the jewels – we can observe more than a hundred pieces, tools and other equipment, which were used and in some cases still use, in the different processes of traditional production: from the preparation of the wire to the construction of the frame and to the filling.
The collection of goldsmiths, with more than a hundred pieces, includes the jeweler's ornament in the traditional typologies - pendants, reliquaries, crosses of Malta, earrings and collections, among others - as well as pieces of goldsmithing that were produced throughout the twentieth century.
On the exhibition route, there is also an Atelier, in which visitors will be able to enjoy, live, the minutia and expertise of artisans who are permanently in space.
At a time when it is urgent to promote the talent and know-how of these artisans, the House of Filigree aims to be a training center for new craftsmen, enabling the creation of job opportunities, in order to ensure the continuity of this art.
The Atelier also includes a space that will be available for workshops.
At the end of the museum route, the visitor will be able to visit the museum's gift shop and get to know all the products proudly produced in Portugal by artisans and workshops of excellence, with emphasis on the My Filigree collection, composed of bracelets and pendants that tell a story and invite the visitor to take a part of this art with them.
The House of Filigree also integrates a Boutique, where you can find pieces of high jewellery in filigree, under the creative direction of Luísa Rosas.
Developed with the passion and knowledge of the best filterers, pieces from the Heritage and Contemporary segments will be available, which combine history and contemporaneity with the highest quality of execution.