From a good Catalina Foothills estate in Tucson is this 1930's to 1944 or so Italian 800 silver hinged bangle bracelet by Locatelli Enrico di Giuseppe - a Milanese atelier which apparently specialized in crafting these orientalist North African themed wearable artworks. The bench wrought wrist ornament is constructed of two substantial hollow form lobed silver halves, their inner surfaces skillfully shaped for wearing comfort. The sides and outer surfaces show an almost complete coverage of labor intensive neoclassical hand engraving. Excepted areas feature copper gilt appliqués of Bedouins on camels and panels of Kufic or Arabic script (these may relate to the Quran). A row of gilt cannetille embellishments punctuates each repousse lobe, and a sturdy bench crafted tongue clasp completes the picture. There is the correct Italian lozenge shaped assay mark with fascio (in use 1935-1944) having "14 MI" for the Locatelli workshop in Milano, and a deeply struck "800" for silver fineness. Current cost of something like this from a relevant vintage specialist on Via Lazaro Spellanzani or Via Pontaccio for instance - well, a lot more than my starting amount. This is the bring back you hoped your well heeled aunt might spring for when perusing shops in prewar Italy, or one liberated by a thoughtful uncle after storming the beach at Anzio. Weight is very good for the form at about 33.7 grams on my portable digital scale. Condition is quite fine with an aura of time to the well preserved surfaces. Be aware I have avoided every urge to refresh away or "improve" upon any natural toning or anything else - you want that done you do it. The copper gilt elements retain most of their gold. There are no disfiguring dents, cracks, separations, or any other overtly debilitating issues to mention for accuracy. The clasp still closes with a reassuring "click", and all normal and expected signs of period service simply validate the history A look at the pics should give a good idea of appearance and condition. Inner circumference is about 7 1/2 in.. About 9/16 in. wide all around. If you prefer earlier 20th Century bench made over that mass production stuff at the mall, or simply wish for a single immediate improvement to any day you choose, this will have great meaning for you.
