Silver snuffbox ITALO BALBO "Mastro Paragon Coppella" (Mario Buccellati), D'Annunzio, circa 1930

Silver snuffbox, complete with its original box and enriched with Gabriele d'Annunzio's signature engraved inside the lid, a personal gift that the Pope gave to some of the most important figures of the time: in this case donated to ITALO BALBO. In all likelihood the gift can be traced back to 1929, the year in which Italo Balbo was appointed Minister of Aeronautics of the Kingdom of Italy.

The silver snuffbox has engraved on the lid, inside a circle, the motif of a large wing with the motto "PIÙ ALTO PIÙ OLTRE" (Higer, Further on) which D'Annunzio intended, as a motto, for the First Air Squadron Group, and is contained in the "Exhortation to Aviators" that the Poet wrote on 24 May 1917 to encourage them to carry out increasingly vast and arduous undertakings.

These snuffboxes were made by the Milanese jeweler Mario Buccellati, defined by D'Annunzio as "Prince of Goldsmiths" alias "Mastro Paragon Coppella", or "Great Artist and Brother" in a very limited number of examples.

A tobacco box that D'Annunzio gave to Galeazzo Ciano is preserved and exhibited at the Vittoriale.

The meeting between Gabriele d'Annunzio and Mario Buccellati - which took place in August 1922 - had the immediacy and intensity of love at first sight. The Poet immediately purchased, at first sight, several objects, and from then on a continuous game of temptations and seductions began.

Firstly, jewels were requested for the numerous women around him, famous or unknown, from Ida Rubinstein to Eleonora Duse, suggesting dedications to engrave and often choosing the colors of the stones to use.

Mario Buccellati, following the requests, created gold and silver jewelery studded with gems, necklaces, brooches and bracelets with refined workmanship, which invariably aroused the enthusiasm and admiration of the client.

As for the colors of the stones, d'Annunzio preferred the combination of red and blue, the heraldic colors of the coat of arms of Prince of Montenevoso which had been assigned to him for special patriotic and poetic merits.

The large collection of objects that the poet kept for himself should not be forgotten, those destined to embody his refined taste in the luxurious rooms of the Vittoriale, such as the famous inkwell with a small tortoise in hard stone.

Mario Buccellati was able to fully understand and satisfy his friend's tastes and desires and on more than one occasion the Poet found a way to express his gratitude and admiration towards the goldsmith. The partnership between the two thus continued over the years, with mutual esteem and satisfaction, in the tones now full of a singular friendship.