A Carved Coral Penholder and Penknife

A coral sculpture of Venus with two putti: one in her arms, the other in her lap, and holding a cornucopia. Sciacca, Italy, 17th century. Additiona...

A pen knife of dagger form with etched and partly gilt decoration of foliate scrolls and a lady. Ivory handle, European, possibly Italian, end 16th century o...

This silver and antique coral letter opener was handmade by our talented goldsmiths, who used a coral branch from Sciacca, the Sicilian town famous for its corals. The Sciacca Coral has unique origins in the world: it is closely tied to the exceptional history of the Ferdinandea Island, which is a submerged volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily, between Pantelleria and Sciacca. As of today the summit of the Ferdinandea Island remains between about 6 and 8 meters below the Mediterranean Sea level. Its most recent appearance as an island was in July 1831. In the late 1831, in a shoal (called later ”Bummolo” by the fishermen of Sciacca) located around 30 miles from Sciacca, a new island emerged in a fiery hell from the depths of the Strait of Sicily. However, one year later, the island sank back beneath the waters and definitely disappeared in the Strait of Sicily. Over time, thanks to the exceptional microclimate determined by the frequent volcanic phenomena along the slopes of the submerged volcano, huge coral...

Red coral branch mounted on a 19th-Century French bronze doré fragment. This is a lovely objet d'art to add to your collection or cabinet. During the Renaissance, Cabinets of Art an...