BY ATELIERS SAPIO, VICHY AND NAPLES, 1908-1911

The Ateliers Sapio, based in Vichy and Naples, were founded in 1869 by Domenico Sapio. They created extravagant tortoise-shell and coral items, showing their work at the Great Exhibitions. This masterpiece, probably the biggest tortoise-shell item in the world, was designed by Domenico Sapio to be displayed at the 1910 Brussels Great Exhibition. However, due to the complexity of it's design and the detail involved in the carving, its completion was delayed until the following year. Domenico Sapio and his workshops nevertheless awarded the Gold Medal in 1910 for a smaller tortoise-shell item, the whereabouts of which are now unknown. The Ateliers Sapio were awarded another Gold Medal at the 1915 San Francisco Great Exhibition.