Collections Overview

We continue to preserve, make accessible, and develop our archives and collections, whilst supporting talented artists and craftsmen in a number of fields.

ARCHIVES

It was a busy year for the archivists, with a substantial increase in the number of enquiries received and a higher volume of visitors to the Hall. Whilst many of our activities are of a curatorial nature, we are keen to ensure we continue to make significant strides towards professionalising the care of our archives. Accordingly, we have recently developed an Archives Strategy for The Company, a forward plan to guide our activities over the coming years with the ultimate aim of reaching Archive Accreditation Standard.

An important facet of this Strategy is to explore ways in which we can make our collections more accessible online. As an example, we have recently agreed to include images of our important early 17 th -century Treswell Plan Book in the Layers of London Project. Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, this is a ground-breaking, interactive online mapping tool for the history of London.

TAPESTRY

Designed by the Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili CBE, and hand-woven by the internationally renowned Dovecot Tapestry Studio in Edinburgh, 'The Caged Bird’s Song' is a bold and vibrant triptych that draws on Ofili’s ongoing interests in classical mythology and contemporary demigods. It is inspired by the stories, magic, and colour of the Trinidadian landscape the artist inhabits.

The commission and, in particular, the choice of such a prominent artist to design the work, make a powerful statement about our commitment to our root craft and our desire to support endangered skills and nurture talent.

The tapestry was installed in Clothworkers’ Hall in September 2017, following the critically acclaimed exhibition at the National Gallery, Chris Ofili: Weaving Magic (April to August 2017), in which the tapestry featured. Since then, we have welcomed more than 130 visitors to the Hall for a series of bimonthly tapestry viewings, in order to meet continued public demand in this magnificent work of art and craftsmanship.

Dovecot is one of only two surviving tapestry studios in the UK, and it took a team of five master weavers more than two and a half years to translate Ofili’s watercolour design to the loom – interpreting, replicating, and magnifying each and every colour and nuance with great skill and artistry. In order to showcase this extraordinary piece further, we will be opening Clothworkers’ Hall forLondon Craft Week (May 2018). This will involve a series of tapestry master classes, run by Dovecot’s master weavers, in addition to a lunchtime talk discussing the making of the tapestry.

We will also be opening the principal ceremonial rooms of the Hall for Open House London on Saturday, 22 nd September 2018.

COMMISSIONING SILVER

We are fortunate to possess an extensive collection of silver, dating from the early 17 th century, with a particular highlight being the magnificent suite of plate presented by Samuel Pepys (Master, 1677-78). This includes the extremely rare, pierced and chased silver gilt cagework cup made by Gerard Cooques (the royal goldsmith), which has this year been the subject of new research by experts at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Ashmolean Museum.

Our collection exists in large part due to the generosity of past Masters and members; however, we actively seek to build a representative collection of the best of contemporary British silver. Towards that goal, we place commissions with eminent modern designers every two years. In the past year, we have taken delivery of two important, but contrasting, pieces.

A new badge for the Clerk was designed by Ginnie de Vroomen and made by her husband, Leo de Vroomen. In partly oxidized silver, it features an artistic representation of fleece curls and a gold-plated ram’s horn against a background of chequered cloth. The badge was generously presented to The Company by Immediate Past Master Michael Jarvis.

Additionally, Angela Cork was commissioned to create a rosewater dish commemorating our Supplemental Charter, granted in 2015. Her “Charter” dish incorporates an abstracted, three-dimensional teasel plant pattern around the outer rim. The design was hand-chased by setting the silver onto pitch and using hammers to compress and shape the metal into voluminous teasel shapes. The effect is to make the rim almost cloth-like in appearance. A satin finish and highly polished centre provide an elegant contrast within the dish.

We will shortly invite designs from five silversmiths for two new loving cups as our 2018 commissions. This is so that we may gracefully retire our 18 th -century cups from active use during Livery Dinners.

COMMISSIONING CONTEMPORY BOOKBINDINGS

Bookbinding is an endangered craft that we decided to support 10 years ago.

We are slowly building up a collection of designer bookbindings, and currently have five books out on commission with eminent bookbinders. We recently took delivery of a suitably macabre binding of 'The Great Plague: A People’s History' by Evelyn Lord (2014), with a binding by Julian Thomas MBE, former Head of Conservation at the National Library of Wales. In early 2017, we also received our second commission from Jenni Grey. All our bindings are displayed in a prominent position in the Entrance Hall, drawing the attention of members, guests, and general visitors. These are displayed alongside a striking selection of bindings generously lent to us by a member of the Court.

OTHER HERITAGE COLLECTIONS

Our commissioning activity is usually focused upon plate and bookbindings. However, on occasion, our core collections are supplemented with other acquisitions of works of art.

This year, we have been fortunate to receive from the present Master, Dr Carolyn Boulter, a full-length portrait of her ancestor, Sir Robert Beachcroft (Master, 1700-01, and Lord Mayor of London, 1711-12), by Richard van Bleeck. The portrait has been hung – for the current Master’s year – at the head of the Court Room, adjacent to that of Carolyn’s grandfather, Major Maurice Beachcroft. For the time being, the Master may feel the benevolent eyes of her forebears upon her when the Court convenes.

We are also delighted to announce the safe return to Clothworkers’ Hall of a fine ormolu mantel clock by Vulliamy, stolen from the Hall in 1970. The story of its adventures and how we were able to secure its restitution may be found in the Members’ Supplement (2018), as well as on our website.

SUPPORTING TALENT

We have a long track record as a patron of the arts, and we continue to support up-and-coming talent in selected areas.

In silversmithing, we make an annual grant to Bishopsland Educational Trust. The grant enables students to purchase raw materials in addition to essential tools, which will assist them in their careers long beyond the end of their formal studies.

Bishopsland is a unique oneyear residential workshop for emerging silversmiths, providing master classes in craft techniques coupled with essential training in marketing and business skills. Prominent alumni include Rod Kelly, Jane Short, Hiroshi Suzuki, Theresa Nguyen, and Angela Cork – all of whom feature in our growing plate collection.

In bookbinding, we fund prizes in the Open Choice category of the Designer Bookbinders annual competition, which consistently attracts high-quality bindings from talented crafts people. This year, we again organised a temporary loan of the Clothworker prize-winners’ bindings, which were displayed for guests at the December Court and Livery Dinner.

We also fund bursaries to enable talented binders to attend master classes jointly organised by Designer Bookbinders and the Society of Bookbinders, as a means of enabling skills transfer from one generation to the next.

Additionally, The Company is a founding partner of the Queen’s Bindery Apprenticeship Scheme (QBAS), the first bindery apprenticeship to be established since the 1970s. Over a seven-year pilot period, up to six apprentices will be trained at the Royal Bindery at Windsor and attend external workshops. They will acquire a diverse range of bookbinding skills including fine leather binding, edge-gilding, and gold finishing – skills that may otherwise be lost forever. The Scheme is now in its second year and two new apprentices, Emily Macmillan and Laura Hollingworth, were recently recruited.

All apprentices will receive City and Guilds qualifications upon satisfactory completion of their terms. Apprentice Bookbinder Standards have been submitted to the Institute of Apprenticeship for assessment, and Journeyman Bookbinder Standards will be submitted in due course. We have recently agreed to increase funding for QBAS to help offset the costs of the full-time administration the Scheme requires, ensuring its continued success in future years.