THE GREAT WAR AND SATSUMA CORAL

Although the Great War threatened the world in 1915, Bartolomeo was not to be intimidated and continued to dedicate himself selflessly, and with great dynamism, to his work in the Far East. He travelled from one district to another in search of bargain prices for the best batches of coral. In Kobe, he bought Satsuma, a type of coral which was widely available but highly prized, especially in Italy. To meet the demands of the market, Bartolomeo worked unceasingly, only stopping in the evening when, seated at his writing-desk, he would write a report of the day’s business, making calculations and valuations. He prepared the goods, packed them and sent letters and branches of raw coral to his brother-in-law Michele and his sister Raffaella in Torre del Greco who ran the workshop. Here, the husband and wife team chose the designs for necklaces, earrings and bracelets and, despite the difficulties of the war, organised sales and shipments.