Quality handcrafted
Italian handbags have a long and rich
history, have been much admired for centuries. During the twelfth century, Italian
handbags were used by royalty and those in high society. The Parisian court sourced
its bags and purses principally from the skilful artisans in Italy. Documents still
exist which confirm very extravagant and luxurious purses were sourced from
Italy. These incredible bags were embellished with gold, precious stones,
enamels and silver. Many ancient examples are on show in museums in Europe.
The bag-making industry in Italy can be traced back to the twelfth
century. Ancient records of different guilds for arts and crafts include:
·
Arti Minori (the lesser crafts)
·
Cuoiai e Galigai (leatherworker)
·
Arte dei Lavoratori del Cuoio (Leatherworkers’
Guild).
·
Correggiai (military leatherworkers)
·
Sellai (saddlers)
·
Calzolai (shoemakers).
Some of the finest tanneries in Italy were established in
this very early period. Cow and buffalo were the most common hides used but
more refined skins such as chamois and calf skin also found.
Practically every city in Italy had its own quarter of bag-makers;
Tuscany, Venice, Pistoia, Siena and Pisa all had craftsmen who made the best Italian
handbags. The craftsmen who created
these excellent Italian handbags were called bolzieri.
The cities who housed these craftsmen flourished. Every city
in Italy where trade and commerce have flourished have had their own quarter or
street of bag-makers (Via dei Borsai). The extraordinary artisans who worked
there gave Italian handbags, made in Italy, such a respectable reputation which
has lasting throughout time.
One city that was particularly famed for their exceptional
Italian handbags was Venice. Venice was an industrial city and its highly skilled
artisans made bags of all shapes and sizes, planned for countless uses, made in
leather or in rich cloth such as velvet,
damask and silk; adorned with jewels, pearls, embroidery, lace etc.
The first bags were developed to hold money securely and
were undoubtedly made of leather (the word for handbags, borsai, derives from
the Greek byrsa which means leather). The bags of this period were called
scarselle and were worn around the neck or at the waist. Many scarselle were lavishly
ornamented and it is these that made the craftsmen in Italy very famous.
The bisacce were also popular at this time and were used for
travel. Knitted bags were also used in the medieval period and were
often embroidered with the family crest or had the professional guild’s coat of
arms inscribed on them.
The Renaissance era of the sixteenth century brought about a
worldwide trade in bags. Bags from both Italy and France became popular
especially from the cities of Florence, Paris, Venice, Tuscany and Ferrara. The
Italian handbags of this period were well bedecked with ribbons, fringes, lace,
bows and precious stones; and a trend were often made from more extravagant
materials such as velvet, brocade, and satin etc. but leather was still used a
great deal.
The style of Italian handbags started to change and the most
popular type of bags included: the cartella
- an improvement on the medieval scarsella because it was more spacious
and had a knife pocket; the brachetta - a bag worn by men, as a codpiece over their
pants, where there was room to keep money and a handkerchief; the borsa da matrimonio
- a bag filled with money as a wedding gift to the bride and groom
Another type of bag which became popular during the fifteenth
century, especially in Venice was the manicotti or the muff. This was a forerunner
of contemporary Italian handbags. The manicotti was cylindrical in shape, and was
lined with fur. It was used to keep hands and arms warm. It had inside pockets to
hold small objects and money.
In the later part of the eighteenth century, bags began to
lose popularity and were used less often. It was not until after the French
Revolution, that resurgence in popularity occurred. The barilotti, bags worn on
the arm, became the popular style. These bags were similar to the manicotti,
the Italian handbags popular in fifteenth century Venice.
With the rise of the bourgeois in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, Europe saw a new demand for Italian handbags with high
society women wanting better and more extravagant purses.
By the end of the nineteenth century, Italian handbags were
well entrenched in the fashion scene. Bags
were now seen as an everyday item worn not only as a fashion symbol and a sign
of wealth, but as functional pieces. The design of bags became more practical, more
comfortable and roomier; and could be made in leather or fabric, and were elaborately
decorated and very elegant.
At the end of the First World War, the fashion industry took
on a whole new significance and was blooming. The first fashion houses of the
world were established and thanks to names like Gucci and Gherardini Italian handbags
became bigger and better. Bags now complemented
other fashion accessories and were designed to be worn for specific occasions
and different times of day.
Pochettes became the popular style of the day and the muff came
back into fashion, made in either velvet or pony-skin. However due to the war, there was a shortage
of materials and a drive to find alternative materials to make bags from was
led by the artisans in Italy. Fashionable Italian handbags started to be made
from imitation alternatives through to precious materials. Materials such as imitation
leather, dentice (a type of sea bream), rospo (toad), hemp, linen and silk were
all being used in the manufacture of Italian handbags. Metallic hardware and
decorations, snap fasteners and zips were used to embellish the design.
After the Second World War, Italian handbags were in even more
demand. As technology and transport grew,
Italian handbags became more accessible worldwide. Made in Italy, is among the most sought after fashion
labels.
.
The leather traditions used to make Italian handbags have
stood the test of time and are prospering still. The mysteries that marks Italian
handbags as different have been handed down from generation to generation
within families. This handover of skills from father to son helps to retain the
old traditions that this craft offers.
Fashions and tastes might have changed during the course of
the centuries but the refined workmanship and techniques that go into making quality
Italian handbags remain the same. Craftsmen in Italy work as a team - one personally
cuts out the leather, others colour it, and yet others stitch it to produce the most amazing Italian handbags which last a lifetime.
I love my Italian handbags. This tradition full of history
and mystique is why made in Italy bags are so loved and desired. To see my
lovely range of
Italian Handbags click here.
