The history
The History From more than 100 years, the women of Lacco Ameno and Ischia isle have manufactured these delicious baskets that resemble to the old lace manually embroidered. The secret of these complicated objects has been passed by mother to daughter for generation without anybody has been able to discover it. This is the typical Artistic Craftsmanship of the island of Ischia. To 1950 The women of Lacco Ameno have manufactured the straw "Carosella" weaving baskets, handbags, hats and many others beautiful straw-products. Today, for the one who is on vacation, a pleasant and happy contour to one’s own table is the ideal. Also for this reason, in the island of Ischia, and mainly at Lacco Ameno, (the ideal holiday site), there has been a renaissance of the raffia embroidery and weaving art for the embellishment of the table, of the house, and also for the fashion. Antonio Monti keeps on with a secular familial tradition of raffia manufacture and his skill is being spread this handicraft all over the world. The straw "Carosella" was sowed on the strata of the Epomeo near Fontana and Serrara, whose inhabitants went down the mountain to reach Lacco Ameno, early in the morning to sell their straw. Then the women of Lacco Ameno weaved the straw into different objects.
The straw baskets have been weaved and embroidered by the women of Lacco Ameno since 1860. They are very beautiful, and they keep on to be sold all over the Europe. (Family MONTI- PATALANO - straw baskets century XIX - 1860. 1950)
The straw handbags of Lacco Ameno have always been appreciated all over the Europe. The workmanship was intense: the straw was first cleaning up than suphurized and woven into 4-5 threads’ cords which were sewn in form of bag finished up with embroideries also in straw.
The straw hats are a feather in Lacco Aneno cap. The most beautiful dames in Europe showed them and, from 1948 to 1950, they became a fashion-must, they were called “The Chineses" and they were desired by the most beautiful women of the world.
(straw hats century. XIX - 1948. 1950)
Banner Century XIX 1886 - Museum S. Restituta StrawBanner: Rectangular banner embroidered in colored straw on a flagstaff. The superior stripe in yellow straw, decorated with ivy leaves and butterflies, hemmed with pendants. The center is dominated by a photo of S. Restituta surrounded by a straw garland and red flowers in straw. To both the sides (up-down) two wide embroidered and knot bands with ample&hellip
The Pallium (mt. 3x3 - Centur. XIX - Museum S. Restituta ) is constituted by an ample square strip of mq 9, enriched by flowers and butterflies embroided in colored straw; it is surrounded by four rectangular bands of the same fabric; the whole thing is attached with ribbons on top of 6 flagstaff and brought in precession. It was realized in straw by the embroideresses of Lacco Ameno, in the artisan laboratory of the Family Monti -Sogliuzzo, in occasion of secular Santa Restituta’s Day. End of 1956 When the tourism began at Lacco Ameno and the straw workmanship ended, (1956) the Monti-Pantalano families, artisans from generation to generation, created a new craftsmanship: the raffia manufacturing. They developed this workmanship all over the island. Today it survives with new models (baskets, handbags, slippers , umbrellas, etc.
Raffia baskets
Raffia baskets represent ancient and modern workmanship of the island of Ischia. Antonio Monti keeps on with his family’s secular activity by making objects embroidered by local workers
