Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi

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Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi
Born1767
Died1855 (aged 88)
NationalityGenoese
OccupationFurniture maker
Known for Chiavari chair

Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi (1767-1855) was a Genoese furniture maker, best known as the inventor of the Chiavari chair.

Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi was born in Chiavari in the Republic of Genoa in 1767, the son of a cooper. He was called "il Campanino" ("the bell ringer") because his grandfather was the bell-ringer of the Bacezza church. [1] Descalzi was apprenticed to one of the best master carpenters of Chiavari, and became a master craftsman himself. [2] In 1795 the Descalzi brothers opened a furniture workshop. [3] In 1796 he received a silver medal for two wooden chests of drawers from the Chiavari Società Economica, which had been founded five years earlier by the Marquis Stefano Rivarola. [1] Descalzi introduced the use of a polished slab of San Giacomo slate as a tabletop, a low-cost alternative to marble. [4]

Chivari Fruitwood Ballroom Chairs Chivari Fruitwood Ballroom Chairs.JPG
Chivari Fruitwood Ballroom Chairs

In 1807 Rivarola challenged Descalzi to design a new, modern chair based on a chair that he had brought from Paris. [1] Descalzi created a simple, practical and elegant design for a cherrywood chair. [3] The chairs are both light and robust. [5] Descalzi exploited traditional knowledge, paid strict attention to quality and developed new manufacturing techniques. [2] Chairs using the "Chiavarine" design became extremely popular and were purchased by many of the monarchs of the time. [1] Descalzi's furniture designs won numerous medals at trade shows. [6] His sons Emanuele and Giacomo and their descendants continued the chair making industry that he had founded. [1] Many other factories opened in Chiavari and the surrounding towns, and some continue to make furniture today. [7]

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi - Tigullio.
  2. 1 2 La storia.
  3. 1 2 Liguria suggested itineraries.
  4. Comitato Centrale Italiano 1862, p. 61.
  5. Company - Podestà Adriano.
  6. Camera di commercio, industria, artigianato ... 1832, p. 54.
  7. Montagni 1985, p. 14.

Sources