Taken by Nicola Cranfield.
Cosi Tabellini is a small family run company based in Brescia, northern Italy. They take great pride in being considered the world’s leading pewter house. Their skilled artisans use ancient methods to work this understated yet luxurious material to form modern day heirlooms that are functional and decorative.
It takes at least 10 years to fully train their craftsmen from apprentice to master pewtersmith, and collectively their workshop possesses over 350 years of accumulated pewtersmithing experience!
People often ask about the touchmarks on the pewter, these are the equivalent of the gold and silver hallmark, which is an official “trade mark”, to show the origin of the piece, and other information, to guarantee authenticity. The tiny cluster of markings, carefully stamped by chisel and craftsman’s hand, subtly on the edge of an item is a symbol of the heritage and contemporary evolution.
A key part of Cosi Tabellini’s design identity is the mark of the thistle. The thistle, prolific in the mountains nearby their workshop, thought to signify beauty and grace. 95 denotes the 95% tin content and the lion is the emblem of their township Brescia. The M is for their distributor in the USA,Match Pewter.
The pewter used is a lead-free alloy; an amalgam of 95 percent of the highest quality tin, with the remaining 5 percent comprised of copper and antimony. This unusually high percentage of tin (the fourth most precious metal in the world) creates a product of exceptional quality, as demonstrated by the lustre of the finish and the generous weight. The addition of copper and antimony strengthen the tin, and copper adds warmth with its natural colour.
Cosi Tabellini pewter engraves beautifully. Most pieces come with background information and care instructions, a soft cloth bag and an elegant gift box.
Lead free, food safe and many items are dishwasher friendly. Click here for product care information.
Exclusive to Cranfields in New Zealand.
To visit the Art of pewter collection click here
