For Homo Faber 2026, Buccellati has chosen to showcase two techniques that speak volumes about its material culture: the crafting of extremely fine silver leaf, designed to mimic the movement of fur or feathers, and the use of baroque pearls, whose irregularity serves as the starting point for the design. The appeal lies not solely in the naturalistic effect, but in the way the House transforms a material constraint into a language.
The technique known as “Furry” was developed by Gianmaria Buccellati in the 1960s. It involves manually shaping very thin sheets of silver to reproduce the texture of fur or feathers. The metal must visually lose its rigidity to acquire an almost organic suppleness. At Homo Faber, this technique is particularly evident in a fan of feathers paired with an animal-themed brooch—a reminder that goldsmithing may seek not so much mass as it does a sense of movement.
The second theme is more directly related to jewelry. Buccellati presents the *Bird of Paradise* brooch, created in 2002 by Gianmaria Buccellati and preserved in the House’s historical collection. The piece is centered around a Scaramazza pearl—in other words, a baroque pearl whose irregular shape here forms the body of the bird. Whereas classical jewelry has long emphasized symmetry and perfection, Buccellati reverses this logic: it is precisely the pearl’s irregularity that gives rise to the design.
The plumage is crafted from white gold, engraved using the *Rigato* technique and then set with brilliant-cut diamonds. The head combines engraved yellow gold, brilliant-cut diamonds, and a fancy-cut diamond; the beak and eye are polished yellow gold. The design as a whole does not seek to obscure the original irregularity. On the contrary, the entire structure of the brooch is organized around it.
This piece helps explain why Buccellati’s presence at Homo Faber is more than just a heritage exhibition. The biennial, held from September 1 to 30 at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, brings together more than 400 artisans, over 800 objects, and participants from more than 70 countries. The House is participating for the third consecutive year, at a time when the transmission of craftsmanship is once again becoming a cultural as well as an economic issue.
Buccellati thus reminds us that craftsmanship is not merely a repeated formula. It can also be the ability to see available materials in a new light. A sheet of silver can become a feather. An imperfect pearl can dictate the entire anatomy of a bird. Perhaps this is where tradition retains its power: when it continues to produce new responses rather than simply repeating its own symbols.
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