ORIGINAL VINTAGE EXQUISITE DAMASCENE TOLEDO BY FELIPA MADRID POCKET WATCH
This pocket watch comes from the workshop of Felipa Guisasola. Followers of Plácido Zuloaga, the Guisasola family were notable producers of damascened art wares in the late 19th century and both Felipa and her brother Tomás established their own workshops. Felipa exhibited at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and her damascened wares were admired in publications as The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review.
DIAL: original white color enamel dial with black color arabig numbers. Original blue metal hands, spade & whip. Dial is in excellent condition, no dings, cracks or hairlines. It is signed FELIPA MADRID at twelve o'clock.
MOVEMENT: original mechanical with manual winding movement, beautiful lever escapement. Movement is numbered 674956. It is in good running order (not checked for accuracy)
CASE: original STEEL case, masterfully decorated with a DAMASCENE artwork by FELIPA GUISASOLA (please, refer to the additional info at the end of this description). The extremely intrincate work of art is exquisite, please refer to the pictures, they speak by themselves.
There is the religious sentence "Alah is the only God" الله هو الإله الوحيد on the radius of the back cover.
Bezel is also decorated with damascene work, showing a sober "dots" design (see pics, please).
The tiny pusher placed on case lateral at one o'clock allows setting time.
Back cover is numbered inside 677136 8
MEASURES: 48mm diameter without its winding crown or hanging ring, 68mm high including standing ring.
ESTIMATED AGE: circa 1890
GENERAL CONDITION: Very Good+/Excellent general condition. No signs of wear, please refer to the pictures.
Additional info about the reknowed artist:
Felipa Gisasola Gabiola was born on April 30, 1852 in Eibar. Her parents, Miguel Antonio Guisasola and Josefa Gabiola, were from Eibar. She lost her father at a very young age. Ella Felipe learned to paint when she was still a child, at the Municipal Drawing School and at the age of thirteen she already knew how to make damascene. During the visit of Queen Isabel II to Eibar in 1865 and in tribute to her, an exhibition was organized that showed the different industries of the town. Felipe, she was in front of the damascene ball working and the queen, seeing how well she did it, gave her a scholarship of 1,500 pesetas per year so that she could continue training, which she did with Don Plácido Zuloaga. Once her training was finished, Felipa lived between Eibar and Madrid. In 1875, at the age of 23, the first reference to Felipa Guisasola appeared in the national press, praising her work and predicting a successful career for the Eibar artist. Married to the Eibar damasquinador Lorenzo Zaragozano Arguiano, between 1880 and 1887 they had three children: Emilia, Miguel and Juan. Lorenzo died in 1887, leaving Felipa a widow at only 35 years old. Until then, they worked together on different works and opened “Casa Felipa”, their own workshop and exhibition store on 14 Arenal Street in Madrid. During the time she lived in Madrid, Felipa garnered countless awards and merits, of which the most relevant were the following: In 1879, FIRST PRIZE from the Geographical Society of Madrid In 1883, she received a DIPLOMA OF HONOR at the National Exhibition of Mining, Metallurgical Arts, Ceramics, Glassware and Mineral Waters. In 1885, GOLD MEDAL at the Antwerp International Exhibition. In 1889, GOLD MEDAL at the Paris International Exhibition. In 1889, ARTISTIC MERIT awarded by the Royal Academy of San Fernando of Fine Arts. Felipa's work was well known both nationally and internationally and her works were highly valued. The prize-winning piece from Antwerp sold for 35,000 pesetas and the one from Paris for 70,000 francs. Currently, her works sell at auction for $8,000-$10,000. In 1900, at the age of 48, she sold “Casa Felipa” and returned to Eibar. From then until her death, she recorded her with her sons, Juan and Miguel, who were also damasceners and had a workshop between the two of them. Ella Felipe opened several workshops-schools in Eibar (on Isasi Street, in Plaza de Unzaga, in Fermín Calbetón, Bidebarrieta...) and she taught many women how to damascene. In 1919, she obtained the position of drawing assistant at the Municipal Drawing School for girls of Eibar, where she worked until 1922. She died in Eibar in 1939, aged 87.
Felipa Gisasola Gabiola nació el 30 de abril de 1852 en Eibar. Sus padres, Miguel Antonio Guisasola y Josefa Gabiola, eran de Eibar. Quedó huérfana de padre a muy temprana edad.
Felipa aprendió a pintar cuando todavía era una niña, en la Escuela Municipal de Dibujo y con trece años ya sabía damasquinar. Durante la visita de la reina Isabel II a Eibar en 1865 y en homenaje a ésta, se organizó una exposición que mostraba las diferentes industrias de la villa. Felipa, se encontraba frente a la bola de damasquinar trabajando y la reina, viendo lo bien que lo hacía, le otorgó una beca de 1.500 pesetas anuales para que siguiera formándose, lo cual hizo con Don Plácido Zuloaga.
Terminada su formación, Felipa vivió entre Eibar y Madrid. En 1875, a los 23 años de edad, aparece la primera referencia sobre Felipa Guisasola en la prensa nacional, elogiando su trabajo y prediciendo una carrera exitosa para la artista eibarresa.
Casada con el también damasquinador eibarrés Lorenzo Zaragozano Arguiano, entre 1880 y 1887 tuvieron tres hijos: Emilia, Miguel y Juan. Lorenzo murió en 1887 dejando viuda a Felipa con tan solo 35 años. Hasta entonces, trabajaron juntos en diferentes obras y abrieron “Casa Felipa”, su propio taller y tienda de exposiciones en la calle Arenal 14 de Madrid.
Durante el tiempo que vivió en Madrid, Felipa cosechó infinidad de premios y méritos, de los cuales los más relevantes fueron los siguientes:
En 1879, PRIMER PREMIO de la Sociedad Geográfica de Madrid
En 1883, DIPLOMA DE HONOR en la Exposición Nacional de Minería, Artes Metalúrgicas, Cerámica, Cristalería y Aguas Minerales.
En 1885, MEDALLA DE ORO en la Exposición Internacional de Amberes.
En 1889, MEDALLA DE ORO en la Exposición Internacional de Paris.
En 1889, MÉRITO ARTÍSTICO otorgado por la Real Academia de San Fernando de Bellas Artes.El trabajo de Felipa era muy conocido tanto a nivel estatal como internacional y sus obras eran muy cotizadas. La pieza premiada de Amberes se vendió en 35.000 pesetas y el de Paris en 70.000 francos. Actualmente, sus obras se venden en subastas por 8.000-10.000 dólares.
En el año 1900, contando 48 años, vendió “Casa Felipa” y volvió a Eibar. Desde entonces y hasta su muerte, consta empadronada con sus hijos, Juan y Miguel, que también eran damasquinadores y tenían un taller entre los dos. Felipa abrió varios talleres-escuelas en Eibar (en la calle Isasi, en la Plaza de Unzaga, en Fermín Calbetón, Bidebarrieta...) y enseñó a muchas mujeres a damasquinar. En 1919, consiguió la plaza de ayudante de dibujo de la Escuela de Dibujo Municipal de niñas de Eibar, donde trabajó hasta 1922. Murió en Eibar en 1939, con 87 años.