Can anyone tell me about Bovano?

[Leslie Gram]

Hello, I inherited this plate from my Grandmother. I was always intrigued by it as a little girl. Can anyone tell me anything about the history of it ?

[Mary_Sykes]

Bovano Studios are well known throughout the United States and Internationally, for the emphasis on quality and design. The Bovano business began in Jim Brower's basement in 1952. In the early days of the business, enamel ashtrays were the item of the day. As smoking became a known health risk in the 60's, Bovano moved into ornaments and enamel wall sculptures (http://www.allsculptures.com/wall-sculptures.php). The original company was sold in 1954 to Bonsignor, Van Leight and Noden. The name Bovano was formed by combining the first two letters of each of their names and continues to this day under that name.

Structurally each piece is made to balance when hung on a wall and the back side of the copper is sealed. There are no shortcuts taken in the production of this line. The joints of solder are strong and smooth.

Many of the objects taken from nature, duplicate very closely the size and color of the actual item, i.e., butterflies, hummingbirds, fish, etc. The array of colors offered are amazing. The transparency provided by the process is totally successful. Because the pieces are made to project forward of the wall surface, a slight shadow falls behind the wall sculpture and adds dimension.

Lighting becomes an important element of display of Bovano works. The transparency of the colors shimmer under ambient light and the fusion of the glass to the copper enhances the colors in daylight and artificial light as well. The colors are permanent and do not fade over time.

Each piece is hand crafted and hand enameled by a team of highly skilled enamelists and metal workers. Traditional hand tools and techniques are used. The process includes vitreous enamel (pulverized glass) delicately hand sprinkled, layer upon layer over solid copper. Fired by intense heat of kilns, the enamels flow and combine, emerging from the kiln, ruby red, then cooling to reveal vibrant and subtle hues of color. This process may be repeated several times before the desired effect is achieved. The glass becomes fused to the surface of the copper.

The goal is to produce the highest possible quality enamel sculptures. The sculptures are made by the exacting eye of an artist and craftsman, of heirloom quality, and may be passed down through the family.

[matthewbizzarro]

The history of Bovano of Cheshire (http://www.allsculptures.com/bovano.php)began in 1952, when working alone in the basement of his home in Cheshire, Connecticut, artist Jim Bower began experimenting with powdered glass fused to small copper plates. His playful approach resulted in early designs applied to small glass enameled plates, which were sold under the name Bower Enamels.

It wasn’t long before Jim met John Bonsignor who realized the potential of developing a much wider array of glass-enameled products. John moved the studio to the upper floor of an old foundry building in Cheshire and began a passionate pursuit of copper enameling. The name “Bovano” was coined from the first two letters of the last name each of the three original owners: Bonsignor, Van Leight and Noden.