Pair Of Italian Silver Penguin-Form Magnum Wine Coolers By Mario Buccellati

A pair of realistically modeled as a male and female penguins, the hinged heads opening to reveal a bottle compartment Mario Buccellati was one of the most remarkable Italian jewelers of the 20th century. His unique designs paying tribute to goldsmiths of the Renaissance have gained the admiration of both clients and jewelry experts. Today, over fifty years after his death, the tradition of Buccellati’s family continues under the same, well-recognized name.

Born in 1891 in Ancona, Mario Buccellati became involved in jewelry manufacturing in his early years. The dawn of Buccellati’s family business dates back to the mid-eighteenth century when Contardo Buccellati worked as a goldsmith in Milan. In 1903, Mario started an apprenticeship at Beltrami & Beltrami.

In 1914, Mario joined Italian forces during World War I, proving himself to be a strong fighter, as well as a talented jeweler. Five years later, he came back to discover that Beltrami & Beltrami had shut down. Mario bought out and took over the firm, renaming it to Buccellati. He opened the first boutique on Largo Santa Margherita in Milan the same year.