MAESTROS OF METAL
Italian silversmith Zanetto’s sleek designs look modern but are made using traditional techniques it pioneered almost six decades ago.
Gleaming mirror-polished gold and silver forms nestle in cascades of eggshell-blue silk, while colourful enamels and crystals sparkle alongside decorative pears studded with seed pearls. Although these scenes resemble a high jewellery display, they are in fact from Zanetto’s latest catalogue, featuring luxurious handmade tableware and home decor.
Founded by Bernardo Zanetto in 1963, the brand still operates in its hometown of Padua, near Venice. Although less famous, Padua has a rich gold and silverwork tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, and it’s here that Bernardo gained recognition with his refined takes on everyday objects like vases, bowls and cutlery. By the 1970s, Zanetto had shifted to avant-garde designs, experimenting with metals and introducing hammered brass creations using tools made in-house.
Today, under Bernardo’s son, Enrico, a team of 20 artisans (including Enrico’s son, Paolo) handcrafts exquisite objects in brass, copper, bronze, silver and gold, many of them featuring unusual surface finishes unique to Zanetto. “We produce objects with uniform shapes, perfect edges, completely smooth surfaces and uniformly thick silver plating,” says Enrico. The brand has also expanded its range to include jewellery, furniture and even art — La Femme, a sculpture of a stylised female form by Enrico, was admitted to the prestigious International Art Prize Biennale of Asolo.
“Imperfections distinguish handmade from machine-made,” he adds. “Our pieces become more beautiful and elegant with age and use.”
Illustrating this philosophy is Zanetto’s latest collaboration with Marina Bay Sands. Its array of dazzling hammered objects, including a brass fruit bowl and cocktail set that resemble objet d’art, now adorn the integrated resort’s spectacularly revamped, ultra-luxurious Paiza Collection.
“Our clients share our passion for beauty,” says Giulia Zanetto, Enrico’s daughter and Zanetto’s brand manager.
Here, she gives us an exclusive look into the family’s Padua workshop.
A Creative Family
My father, Enrico, joined the company in 1983. As CEO and Head of Design, he is deeply involved in all aspects of Zanetto’s operations. Every item must receive his final approval before it leaves the workshop.
(Far right) Enrico's first creation under the Zanetto Arte range, La Femme, symbolises feminine energy and is as much a work of art as it is a functional piece. You could use it to hold fruit or flowers, but it looks best displayed as art.
The Zanetto Process
Enrico personally sketches every custom piece, refining designs with clients. For Marina Bay Sands’ Paiza Collection, he designed a luxurious cocktail set featuring polished brass and a walnut wood base. This balance of shine and warmth embodies Zanetto’s attention to detail and craftsmanship.
Each piece at Zanetto is worked on by almost all our 20 artisans, starting with a brass sheet and going through multiple stages such as cutting, hammering and polishing.
“Imperfections distinguish handmade from machine-made. Our pieces become more beautiful and elegant with age and use.”
— ENRICO ZANETTO, ZANETTO
DISCOVER THE PAIZA COLLECTION
