At The Floine Box, we believe that every client deserves a unique and personalized experience. That's why each piece we create is designed to order, with shape, dimensions, and colors that are tailored to your preferences. While some of the pictured on our website may be available for purchase, we always recommend confirming and consulting with us to ensure that you get exactly what you want. Contact us today to start your personalized journey with The Florentine Box."
Learn More About
Emerson Wickwire,
Founder of The Florentine Box
The Florentine Box was built from the ground up by our founder Emerson Wickwire. Wickwire’s love for Renaissance cofanetti art first blossomed 30 years ago while he was in Florence, Italy, a part of the world he would travel to for work as a financial consultant. These trips were what opened his eyes to the spectacular collections of “cofanetti” carved from wood, silver and gold, which were displayed in an array of museums.
From an outsider’s perspective, making the transition from finance to art may seem like a stretch, but for Wickwire, both are talents and interests he’s had his entire life.
An Early Background in Numbers
Wickwire is a native of Buffalo, NY, but spent many of his school years in suburban Pittsburgh. This is where he says his scholastic interests and natural talents were split between “numbers” and “arts.” When he reached the college level, he chose to pursue a career in the “numbers” sector, citing the idea that it was better pay.
As he began to travel to Florence for his financial job, his love for art was rekindled. On a regular basis, Wickwire found himself painting, sketching, and taking art classes. He even wrote and published a book that covered several art forms he now incorporates into his cofanetti such as Florentine art paper, leather gilding, and unique paperwork design.
Letting His Art Lead the Way
As his passion for art overruled his love for numbers and finance, he chose to let his creative side take full control of his everyday life. Wickwire would spend years refining his art before showing it off to his family. Thanks to their support, along with encouragement coming from local artists, he finally chose to debut his work.
Wickwire’s artistic style is a fuse of two Florentine artistic traditions: paper and boxes. (Art papers have been created within the country since the 17th century, and specialty boxes, or cofanettos, were introduced during the Renaissance period.)
Wickwire’s art employs Florence’s ornate papers, carved miniature moldings and ornaments to create mirrors, small tables and decorative cofanetti (“boxes” in Italian).
Integrating an Artistic Vision into The Florentine Box
Given Wickwire’s residence in Boca Grande, Florida, the artistic pieces within The Florentine Box are a combination of the traditional Florentine styles mentioned above, with elements of Boca Grande’s ocean sea life.
The sea life is seen in the form of real shells being transformed into works of art – and Wickwire can even use upwards of 15 varying layers of varnishes and paints to make a real seashell appear to be an enameled jewel.
The Artistic Process Behind Each Cofanetti Project
Each of Wickwire’s pieces are custom made, crafted completely by hand. Because of this, projects often take more than 75 hours to complete. Whether these projects are ideas of his own or order requests, Wickwire handles the design of each piece alone.
His design process is one of “problem solving” to integrate a client’s specific needs, including size, color, and constraints arising from tropical atmosphere elements.
Following finalization of a design, Wickwire confers with his Florentine craftsmen to create the specific moldings, carvings, silk tassels, Florentine papers and tilework that will be incorporated into the work. He then relies on his expert woodworkers to perform the cutting and assemble the framework.
Wickwire performs the last steps personally, which include painting, glass cutting, gilding and decorating, all in his Boca Grande studio.
Browse Wickwire’s previous projects in our Design section, or read more about The Florentine Box today.