The Moulding Mecca

If you’ve ever visited Tim Miller’s shop, Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery, you know that he is one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to handmade picture frames.

Now he is even more knowledgeable thanks to a recent trip to C.C.C. De Concilio, a moulding and framing company in Naples, Italy. The company was founded in 1886, and Miller is one of the few American framers to see the workings of the plant where the moulding is created.

The trip started with a chance meeting in Las Vegas with another framer.

“I met John Gareri, owner of Roma Moulding in Toronto in January,” Miller said. “He invited me to visit the Naples plant where much of the framing that we both use is made.”

Miller took Gareri up on the invitation the very next month, traveling to Italy with his girlfriend, Anthea Ip.

At the De Concilio factory and showroom, Ip and Miller were given a tour by two employees of the plant, Stefano and Diego.

“All of the frames made at De Concilio are hand finished,” Miller said. “The gold leafers apply over one kilometer of gold to the frames each day, and the plant produces over 5,000 meters of frames per day.”

According to Miller, De Concilio sells wholesale moulding to picture frame companies in 42 countries around the world, and one of their largest business partners is Roma Moulding.

The high-quality De Concilio moulding can be found framing artwork in the Louvre in Paris, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and in the most exclusive hotels in the world, such as the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the MGM in Las Vegas and the Venice in Macao.

“Stefano and Diego took us on an exclusive tour of the plant and, at the end of the day, treated us to an incredible Italian dinner off the tourist path,” Miller said. “I let them drive our rental car, and they took us to a restaurant that was about 10 miles from the plant. We had the most delicious Italian food at a place that tourists hardly ever see.

“As an art dealer, certified picture framer, guild-commended framer and owning a gallery and picture frame business for 18 years, the day in Naples, Italy, with Diego and Stefano at De Concilio and traditional Italian food has been the highlight of all my years in business as an art dealer and picture framer.”