Filigree, known as filigrani in Kosovo, is an ancient craft that uses fine, mostly silver and gold thread to produce astonishingly intricate and beautiful, lace-like works of art, painstakingly assembled with thousands of tiny soldered joints. Filigrani’s origins are believed to date back to the ancient Egyptians, with the art being perfected later by the Etruscans and ancient Greeks. Historical records suggest that filigrani arrived in Kosovo at some time during the 15th century, and it’s been produced in the region ever since. Today there are an estimated 200 small-scale family businesses producing filigrani in and around Prizren, surviving almost entirely on local trade through sales in specialist shops, and handing the expertise and traditions down from generation to generation. Among the largest and well known of these artisans is a group of 10 producers working together in a small workshop in the northwest part of Prizren. Simply called Filigrani, the company was originally founded in 1947 by the Yugoslav state together with local craftsmen, and it survived many hardships before being forced to close after the privatisation process that came after the war in 1999. The group of ten now work out of the original building, producing some truly exquisite bespoke work using traditional methods for clients both at home and abroad. Their small workshop can be visited by anyone with a genuine artistic or commercial interest, and is well worth the trip. The workshop also includes a shop where several examples of the work produced can be bought.

Filigrani, I-4, Rr. Tirana 3, tel. +377 44 13 95 39, filigranpz@gmail.com. Open 08.00-15.00, Sat, Sun closed.