Cristina sent us some beautiful images of “Tombolo” laces she is working at and this time they are “colored Tombolo”!

Look at the number of spindles she needs to hold each thread.

Let’s find out what the design is!

Flowers!

A nice bunch of roses from Cristina Bravi and her lab. “Le Mani d’Oro” in L’Aquila

And here is another pattern she is working at, beautiful colors!

If you want to make contact with Maria Cristina Bravi can visit her web site www.lemanidoro.com and email her at info@lemanidoro.com

We aready introduced Maria Cristina Bravi and her “Le Mani d’Oro, Tombolo Acquilano”

Now we would like to introduce you another amazing application of Tombolo: Tombolo Jewels. Above is a gold and nickel bracelet with coral finish.

And here is a very fine design pendant with silver frame and tombolo.

Here in another example of gold and Tombolo Jewel . It is very interesting to see how the tradition of gold filigree that we discovered in one of our previous posts talking about “Presentosa“ combines with the fine art of Tombolo.

And here is another beautiful example of what we just said.

In recent days we have seen the booming fashion of wearing lace braclets of different colors and styles, very simple but very precious. I was personally very surprised to see how an italian producer who had launched those colored bracelets as a promotion for his main business had to happily face the “explosion” of a fashion around those items and I remember being in Tokyo with people lining outside a store to get one of them!
How about making these Tombolo Jewel start another fashionable style?
We will be happy to keep telling you the story of this amazing art and the story of Maria Cristina Bravi and her work. Stay with us!
If you want to make contact with Maria Cristina Bravi can visit her web site www.lemanidoro.com and email her at info@lemanidoro.com

Today we will tell you the story of an amazing woman, Maria Cristina Bravi, who lives and works in L’Aquila

We already posted about the old tradition in Abruzzo of “Tombolo” (Lace typical of Abruzzo). Maria Cristina started to “work Tombolo” as a hobby, in 1984, as she rediscovered the 3000 “fuselli” (spindles) her grandmother used to work with.

She started learning with the help of a friend and then took classes (organized by the Region to preserve this old tradition from disappearing). In the meanwhile she kept going with all things that had interested her to that point and, for example, graduated in piano.

Over the time she began to participate in national and international exhibitions. Her interest and passion grew as she wanted, more and more, to make a technical and historical research about Tombolo.

Realizing that the Tombolo lace was about to be forgotten and disappear from her hometown, L’Aquila, was the driving force that ultimately led her to turn her hobby into a job and, in 1990, she opened her workshop: the “Golden Hands”.

Now let’s talk about the “Recovered Fan“. She started working at it in December 2008 and suffered an interruption of work due to the earthquake that badly hit L’Aquila and Abruzzo in April 2009.

It became her utmost challenge when her brother recovered the work under the debris of their collapsed house. Lucky enough it was not too badly damaged and Maria Cristina managed to patiently and carefully save it. The Fan was completed in January 2013, a few days ago, as she is proud to announce!

It took 576 “fuselli” (spindles) and over 1 pound of pins along with a lot of patience to make it!
The original idea for this fan, as Maria Cristina tells us, came from a family tradition that included her paternal grandmother. She had a Tombolo fan! It was Maria Cristina’s father that made the drawing of the Grandma fan and it took about 15 years before Maria Cristina had “the courage” to face this challenge! We are glad she did! Complimenti!
If anybody wants to make contact with Maria Cristina Bravi can visit her web site www.lemanidoro.com and email her at info@lemanidoro.com

Pescocostanzo is a small Renaissance town on the Abruzzo Apennines, in the province of L’Aquila. Here there is a great tradition of craftsmanship that goes from the filigree work in gold to that of stone working, from wrought iron to that of a very precious lace named “Tombolo”.

A fine example of Tombolo Lace

Almost certainly these technique spread in Pescocostanzo in the second half of the fifteenth century, introduced by the women of builders and workers  who came, with their families,  to this area from Lombardy, North of Italy,   to help rebuild the country destroyed by the earthquake of 1456.

A painting representing a woman working long hours at her Tombolo while watching the kids

Since then, the work of Tombolo laces has been handed down for centuries from generation to generation, from mother to daughter, to the present day. A few decades ago, the first activity of a child, even before they learn to read and write, was the one of learning Tombolo Laces.

In more recent days a young girl is learning how to work at her Tombolo

The tools needed for the production of Tombolo lace are: the “Tombolo” itself that is a special cushion usually padded with straw, placed on a stand to keep it still and stable.

An example of Tombolo cushion on its stand

Then we have the spindles, the thread, usually a linen thread, pins, and the print on a paper to follow a pattern.

Example of spindles (Fuselli in Italian) while working at a lace

Over the centuries there have been many applications for Tombolo laces and they are still included in many bridal trousseau.

A fine example of Tombolo Lace

With this post I hope to get your curiosity about Tombolo and the plan is to visit Pescocostanzo where there is a beautiful Museum dedicated to the Tombolo tradition. I would love to interview some of these women still producing this precious lace.

A fine example of Tombolo Lace

What is amazing to me is the patience it takes, the time and the long hours learning these techniques especially if compared with the absolutely crazy speed of everyday’s life!

Each pattern has a specific name and uses a certain number of “Fuselli” (spindles)

Credit for the images in this post goes to the Museo del Tombolo in Pescocostanzo.