SORRENTO · SINCE 1957
The House of Ercolano
Marquetry workshop on the Sorrento peninsula. Three generations of one family, cutting, inlaying and finishing wood by hand.
THREE GENERATIONS
Everything we make begins with Giuseppe.
In 1957 Giuseppe Ercolano opened his workshop in Sorrento and became the first of the family to produce marquetry, not merely trade it. His son Orlando grew the workshop into a house. Today his grandson — who carries his name — keeps the same benches working.
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THE CRAFT
Cut, inlaid and lacquered by hand
Seven woods — maple, walnut, dark mahogany, ash, walnut burl, bubinga, oak — dyed in twelve colours, cut with the fretsaw, inlaid piece by piece and sealed under five coats of hand-polished lacquer. The method has not changed; only the hands have.
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THE HOUSES
One workshop, many voices
Ercolano Music
Handcrafted Sorrento music boxes. The Artists and Inlaid collections, each with an 18-note movement.
Giuseppe Ercolano
A house named after the founder. Jewelry boxes, humidors, chess and backgammon sets and photo frames, cut and inlaid on the same benches.
FROM THE WORKSHOP
Beyond the music box
1957 — the first bench
3 — generations at work
5 — coats of hand-polished lacquer