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BERNARDO ANTICHITA'

At the end of the nineteenth century the family settled in Florence where it opened the prestigious shop on the Ponte Vecchio, where you could find collections of jewels and selected high-level art objects. Adolfo Melli , Caterina’s great-grandfather, continued the business by developing and maintaining relations with foreign countries, to the point of making the company a point of reference also for the royal families of Europe, whose testimonies are still preserved today. Our shop, still a privileged destination for a refined clientele, passed to Gustavo Melli , Caterina’s grandfather, and it was he who passed on his knowledge to his nephews and introduced them into the world of antiques. Today Caterina Pasquinucci and her husband Fabio Bernardo with her son Duccio continue the family tradition and continue the activity in the historic shop on Ponte Vecchio, at n.44r.

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INSTAGRAM

  • Ancient Roman Gold Ring With Deer And Cypress Intaglio 2rd Century AD #bernardo The deer is the symbol of vital regeneration due to the periodic renewal of its horns (also compared to the branches of trees) and takes on an allegorical value of development and union between the superior and inferior forces. Even depicted next to the Buddha, who is said to have been reincarnated in a previous life as a golden deer, this graceful and elegant animal is also connected to the alchemical Mercury, a psychic substance that acts as an intermediary, a bridge between the conscious and the unconscious, providing us with the extraordinary possibility of illuminating the interior and allowing the deep self to manifest itself. In medieval bestiaries it is said that the animal, a bitter enemy of snakes, to flush them out fills its mouth with water, pours it into the den and with a breath drags them out and kills them by trampling them with its paws: religious iconography takes up this concept to allude to good triumphing over evil. The Latin poet Ovid tells of Cyparissus, who spent his days in the woods in the company of a deer with golden antlers and who was transformed into a Cypress after asking the Gods to remain in eternal mourning following an accident that led him to kill his beloved deer. For this reason the cypress has been associated with pain and called “the tree that grows near those who suffer”. The Persians instead considered it the “first tree of paradise”, as it established a sort of connection between the world of the underworld and that of the heavens: its roots grow in the depths of the earth, while its crown rises towards the sky.
  • A Late 18th Century Garnet And Enamel Cluster Ring #bernardo The oval cabochon almandine garnet of approximately 5ct within a surround of blue and white enamel. The oval-shaped cabochon-cut garnet measuring approximately 9x8mm.
  • A Late 16th Century Renaissance Ring In Solid 22k Yellow Gold Set with 8 table cut diamonds (approx. 1.5ct) #bernardo
  • Archaeological Revival Gold And Lily of the Valley Micromosaic Brooch/Pendant 1860’s #bernardo 18kt gold micromosaic-pendant, approx. 1860, circumferential wine leaves, centered oval micro mosaic on black ground, lily of the valley presentation, also wearable as a brooch, lug removable. Weight: 17.4 g Lenght: 7cm

INSTAGRAM

  • Ancient Roman Gold Ring With Deer And Cypress Intaglio 2rd Century AD #bernardo The deer is the symbol of vital regeneration due to the periodic renewal of its horns (also compared to the branches of trees) and takes on an allegorical value of development and union between the superior and inferior forces. Even depicted next to the Buddha, who is said to have been reincarnated in a previous life as a golden deer, this graceful and elegant animal is also connected to the alchemical Mercury, a psychic substance that acts as an intermediary, a bridge between the conscious and the unconscious, providing us with the extraordinary possibility of illuminating the interior and allowing the deep self to manifest itself. In medieval bestiaries it is said that the animal, a bitter enemy of snakes, to flush them out fills its mouth with water, pours it into the den and with a breath drags them out and kills them by trampling them with its paws: religious iconography takes up this concept to allude to good triumphing over evil. The Latin poet Ovid tells of Cyparissus, who spent his days in the woods in the company of a deer with golden antlers and who was transformed into a Cypress after asking the Gods to remain in eternal mourning following an accident that led him to kill his beloved deer. For this reason the cypress has been associated with pain and called “the tree that grows near those who suffer”. The Persians instead considered it the “first tree of paradise”, as it established a sort of connection between the world of the underworld and that of the heavens: its roots grow in the depths of the earth, while its crown rises towards the sky.
  • A Late 18th Century Garnet And Enamel Cluster Ring #bernardo The oval cabochon almandine garnet of approximately 5ct within a surround of blue and white enamel. The oval-shaped cabochon-cut garnet measuring approximately 9x8mm.
  • A Late 16th Century Renaissance Ring In Solid 22k Yellow Gold Set with 8 table cut diamonds (approx. 1.5ct) #bernardo
  • Archaeological Revival Gold And Lily of the Valley Micromosaic Brooch/Pendant 1860’s #bernardo 18kt gold micromosaic-pendant, approx. 1860, circumferential wine leaves, centered oval micro mosaic on black ground, lily of the valley presentation, also wearable as a brooch, lug removable. Weight: 17.4 g Lenght: 7cm

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