Portrait. oil on canvas
F. Batelli - New York 1913
De Simone Fratelli
Archive
Portrait. oil on canvas
F. Batelli - New York 1913
De Simone Fratelli
Archive
Plaque made of lava stone entitled “The Farnese bull”. The plaque depicts one of the masterpieces in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
Second half of the XIX century
De Simone Fratelli
Collection
Giovanni Sabbato. Shell with engraved inscription “Moses saved from the water”
XIX century
De Simone Fratelli
Collection
Plaque made of lava stone with inscription “Return from Montevergine”
XIX century
De Simone Fratelli
Collection
Necklace Cornelian shell, gilt metal (pinchbeck), enamels
XIX century
De Simone Fratelli
Collection
Parasol Mediterranean coral, silk, Chantilly lace, ivory, gilt metal and wood
Second half of the XIX century
De Simone Fratelli
Collection
Goblet from Trapani Mediterranean coral, gilt copper
Second half of the XVII century
De Simone Fratelli
Collection
Michele, Fiammetta and
Massimo De Simone
with their parents Antonio and Vera
Dressing table mirror. Unusual object with components probably dating to different periods.
XIX century
De Simone Fratelli
Collection
Funeral of Bartolomeo Palomba in the presence of the Japanese civil and religious dignitaries and the Italian consul
Kobe, Giappone. Spring 1920
De Simone Fratelli
Archive
The “M. fu F De Simone & C.ompy” stand at the “Toy & Fancy Goods Fair”.
The Royal Agricultural hall, London 7th-18th July 1924
De Simone Fratelli
Archive
Article from the “La Torre” newspaper
Torre del Greco 17th July 1924
De Simone Fratelli
Archive
Michele De Simone‘s Business card
London, 1920
De Simone Fratelli
Archive
Parasol handle
with cupid Japanese coral
Early XX century
De Simone Fratelli
Collection
Michele De Simone and Raffaella Palomba about to leave for New York
Torre del Greco 1911
De Simone Fratelli
Archive
Detail. Headed writing paper used by the “Francesco De Simone e figlio”firm.
New York, 1911
De Simone Fratelli
Archive
Bartolomeo Palomba and Michele De Simone with a Japanese merchant
Yamada (Kioto), Giappone. Christmas 1910
De Simone Fratelli
Archive
1910- 1911
De Simone Fratelli
Archive
Second half of the XIX century
De Simone Fratelli
Collection
THE “CUPOLINI” AND THE AMERICAN DREAM
Antonio De Simone’s meeting with Mr. Catamore, a wealthy Californian entrepreneur, marked the definitive take-off of the firm founded by Don Michele. In 1972, coral became all the rage in America and coral “frangia” and “cupolini” necklaces were extremely fashionable: they were a cheap product that became a craze for both teenagers and elderly women, earning a lot of money for producers and craftsmen alike. Famous New York stores such as Saks, Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale’s sold hundreds of thousands of coral necklaces to the trend-setting rich and famous. Within a few weeks, the fashion swept through America, making a fortune for the Italians. The firm received orders worth millions of dollars from Catamore who each week, to speed up delivery times, would send the orders by telegram. The workers at the firms based in Torre del Greco experienced a period of feverish excitement. Antonio De Simone, who in the meantime had opened a new office in Via Roma, had to turn to many ‘external’ workshops to subcontract work in order to satisfy the demands of his important American client. For ten years, the same routine would take place on Saturday morning: the artisans would deliver cameos, necklaces with “cupolini” and “frange” and cabochons made of red and pink coral. There was then a dash to the customs office prior to the rapid delivery to the United States