then collaborate with the artisans to create the object. Mauro Lorenzi adds: “I would like to highlight the fact that the beauty of an item is not the result of the preciousness of the materials employed, but of the way that material it is worked, and the expertise of the craftsman who has created it."
For G. Lorenzi, as for many firms who rely on artisans, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find craftsmen who can do the type of work required. Many of their artisans are already of an advanced age. “It hard to find young people who are willing to dedicate themselves to learning a new job with passion, “ explains Mauro Lorenzi, “which is an irony considering today’s difficult economic climate. Why is it so hard to find people interested in learning an interesting skill that could provide them with a secure income? But, this is certainly not something you can learn while sitting comfortably behind a desktop computer.”
Indeed, to acquire the skill of an expert craftsman you need patience, humility and passion. It also requires, as Mr Lorenzi tells us, the willingness to, quite literally, get your hands dirty. “You should see my ebony woodworker - he constantly wears a mask that is always completely covered in black ebony dust” he concludes.
