Art in little pieces!

Ciao and Buongiorno

As Italy moves into the heart of fall, at My Box From Italy, we continue our preparations for the perfect December Box to surprise and delight you with treasures from different artisans.

We spend a lot of time finding great artisans to add to the Boxes we send, and during that time, we get to know them and become friends with them, so my goal in this article and future articles is to share some of the artists with you, our clients, and tell you their stories.

At My Box From Italy, our artisans are the soul of our company

We choose each artist carefully, ensuring they represent the best Italy can offer. Every single item selected for the Boxes has to bring joy to you; this is one of the most important things to us.

Today, I want to introduce an important artisan:

Elena Prosperi from Bottega di Mosaico / Art Lab.

Like many of the artisans we choose, they have years of experience working with their hands. They use the same technique as their forefathers, sharing secrets from one generation to the next.

Working with people who share the same core values as we do makes it extremely special to add a piece of their hearts into our Boxes.

Elena Prosperi is actually a friend of Elena! They talked together, and Elena shared the idea of featuring her in our Box. Elena (the artist) invited Elena (My Box From Italy) to her studio to view her work and discuss what personalized piece she could design for the December Box.

As I learned more about Elena (the artist), I came to understand why he would be a perfect artist to represent part of My Box From Italy.

Elena (the artist) studied her craft in the cities of Florence, Carrara (MS), and Ravenna. While in these different cities, she studied sculpture, decoration, and mosaics.

In 2015 she won a scholarship to attend the 1st level Master in History and Design of Jewelry in Arezzo. Due to this amazing opportunity, she was able to further her studies. She became interested in Goldsmithing and now has a specialty in goldsmith design.

Elena Prosperi and Michele Dibari (her business partner) trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ravenna, studying mosaics. Michele and Elena decided to open a studio that would allow anyone to see how mosaic art is created.

So on 13 May 2017, she began Bottega di Mosaico / Art Lab, an artistic laboratory born in the heart of Tuscany from the passion of Elena Prosperi and Michele Dibari, two independent artists in mosaic. Located in a small Tuscan town, the Bottega di Mosaico is a window into the art and world of mosaics. Its history spanning from Greek-Roman mosaics to Byzantine art, from modern mosaics to the sophisticated design of micro-mosaic jewels.

Mosaic is a decorative technique in which a particular design is reproduced using different-sized tessere (tiles). The tessere can be made from different materials such as natural stone, marble, ceramic, and glass. The simplest way to create a mosaic is by inserting the tiles in a layer of fresh grout or mortar (a mixture, for example, made up of marble, lime, and linseed oil) which hardens around them. It is slow work, requiring patience and dedication.

Michele creates micro mosaic jewelry that will leave you speechless! You can find them on Etsy by searching for the MuseGioielli brand. They are truly unique pieces of art❤️.

Elena's (the artist's) creations express the brightness of her character. In addition to transmitting her love for the art of mosaics. If you ever have the chance to visit the Bottega in Cerreto Guidi, you will be amazed at how Elena reproduces even the most complex design through the interlocking of small tiles!

We are excited to have a special piece of Elena's art to add to our December Box.

Please remember that our Boxes are limited in supply, so order yours before they are all gone

Don’t miss the December Box, remember they are limited edition!

WHAT IS MY BOX FROM ITALY?

A subscription Box containing beautiful, handmade objects chosen for you by Us, the items are of high quality, made in Italy, and chosen specifically so that you can enjoy a piece of Italy in your own home.

Each Box contains 6-8 different full-sized items. Each Box is unique. This means we will not repeat a Box. Every item we chose is made in Italy by craftsmen that have spent years, or generations, honing their skills.

There are a set number of Boxes available. This is because artisans make the objects in each Box with years, if not generations, of experience in their craft. It is impossible to ask them to hurry their craft for a larger output when each piece is made lovingly by hand. Therefore, each Box is no longer available once sold out and will not be repeated.

You can choose to order an individual Box or a one-year subscription, which consists of three (3) Boxes throughout the year.

We want to thank every person that has supported our dream so far! Thank you from the bottom of our heart!

Dina and Elena