Pantone 871 C Metallic + Black
City and County of San Francisco London N. Breed, Mayor Airpor t Commission Ivar C. Satero, Airpor t Director www.flysfo.com
This publication is presented in conjunction with the SFO Museum exhibition A Sterling Renaissance: British Silver Design 1957 – 2 018, located in the International Terminal Main Hall of the San Francisco International Airport from October 06, 2018 to May 19, 2019. ©2018 by San Francisco Airport Commission. All rights reserved.
A reassessment of silver’s potentialities as an art form is needed. Young designers today are producing work of superb quality. It has not yet gained the recognition it deserves… now’s the time for a recovery. Graham Hughes (1926–2010) arts administrator and writer The Studio, January, 1960
As exhibitions and then art director at the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths from 1951 to 1981, Graham Hughes was well positioned to make such a declaration. A modernist who frequently expressed his disappointment at the lack of variety in contemporary design, Hughes championed the work of a talented class of graduates from the Royal College of Art’s School of Silversmithing and Jewellery who were taking silver in a new direction. At the time of his statement in 1960, the “recovery” that Hughes called for had just begun. Young designer-silversmiths were shedding established design modes, innovating silversmithing techniques, and raising their craft to new heights. This unprecedented burst of creativity continued with superb work in the ensuing decades that confirmed Great Britain’s position as the world’s center for excellence in silver design and craftsmanship. The rich tradition of English silver dates to the Middle Ages. The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, more commonly known as the Goldsmiths’ Company, was granted its first Royal Charter in 1327 as one of London’s twelve original guilds—supporting artisans working with precious metals. During the twentieth century, domestic silver was being displaced by more convenient and more affordable stainless steel. There was also a general complaint about the lack of good design in British products, including silver. Indeed in 1925 King George V complained to the Company that there were no modern trophies at Ascot. The following year, the Company began a collection of modern silver to encourage improved design. The Company’s patronage emphasized naming individual craftsmen rather than their manufactory. Following a review of design in all industries by the Board of Trade, the Company staged its first exhibition of modern silver, which attracted 37,000 visitors. Despite the exhibition’s success, the public’s appetite for silver was waning.
Chrysanthemum teapot 1999
Vase 1973
Bowl 1997
Angus McFadyen (b. 1962) Edinburgh sterling silver, moonstone finial The Pearson Silver Collection
Christopher Lawrence (b. 1936) London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection
Malcolm Appleby (b. 1946) Edinburgh Britannia silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection
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L2018.1801.074
L2018.1801.025
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During the postwar years, anyone looking to produce modern design looked to Scandinavia for inspiration and British silversmiths were no exception. In the late 1950s, an American named Mrs. Lasky travelled to London to visit a friend. Wanting to see modern British silver, she visited the studio of Gerald Benney (1930–2008). Upon viewing his stock items, Mrs. Lasky proclaimed they were not British, but Scandinavian. Shaken by the charge that he was following the Bauhaus School, Benney set out with four or five others to create a distinctively English silver that was “rugged, solid, and functional, but at the same time modern.” Benney was a true designer-silversmith, controlling the creative process to produce singular works. While Benney’s commissioned pieces during the 1950s were already departing from prevailing design trends, his most distinguishing innovation occurred by chance in 1961. While hand-raising the bowl of a cup, he inadvertently used a damaged planishing hammer that, instead of smoothing, textured the silver’s surface. Liking the effect, Benney filed the hammer’s head to emphasize the pattern and proceeded to texture a series of objects. Benney’s “Bark Finish” provided a modern look to his forms and made his work instantly recognizable. Australian-born Stuart Devlin (1931–2018) was trained as a silversmith and as a sculptor. Seeing that the British had moved away from the Scandinavian influence, he returned to silversmithing and developed sculptor’s techniques to produce textures and filigree forms never seen before. Benney and Devlin made a profound and lasting impact on the direction of silver during the 1960s and 70s. Succeeding generations of artists have further expanded the definition of British silver through unique applications of traditional processes. The distinctive work of Malcolm Appleby (b. 1946), a superb designer and craftsman, has helped elevate the stature of independent silver
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artisans. Adrian Hope (b. 1953) employed the rollers of a press to transmit paper designs in relief to sheets of silver. Angus McFadyen (b. 1962), a trained jeweler and self-taught engraver, decorates silver to stunning effect. Ndidi Ekubia (b. 1973) uses traditional hand-raising techniques to push sheet silver to its working limits with flowing, sculptural, and highly expressive forms. The current generation of young silversmiths apply their own perspectives and techniques to a variety of highly imaginative and brilliantly executed work. Theresa Nguyen (b. 1985) transforms ordinary sheets of silver into naturalistic forms through her unique application of the traditional techniques of soldering, folding, and forming. Miriam Hanid (b. 1986) takes a painterly approach to silver, adding details to her fluid, sculptural forms through chasing, engraving, and repoussé—hammering a relief from the opposite side of the silver. And Hamish Dobbie (b. 1991) employs CAD (Computer Aided Design) software and 3D printing alongside traditional techniques to produce exceptional examples of silver with modern aesthetics. Today, Britain continues to provide the expertise and creative environment that nurtures homegrown talent and attracts student silversmiths from around the world who bring a diversity of influences to British silver design. The Goldsmiths’ Company plays a significant role in this ongoing development through patronage, educational programs, and training offered at its Goldsmiths’ Centre in London. So too does Edinburgh’s Incorporation of Goldsmiths, which promotes education within the trade and encourages patronage through its annual festival and purchasing exhibition. With today’s silversmiths influenced by the work of the twentieth-century modernists and, in turn, informing the direction of British silver into the twenty-first century, Great Britain’s role as the leader in contemporary silver design is assured. The best is yet to come.
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These designer-craftsmen deserve to be recognized and their work should be more freely available to people who appreciate well designed objects, things which are handmade and not mass produced. This craft is very much alive, indeed, thriving. Many of the artists I collect are at the beginning of what will be remarkable careers. Some have not yet graduated‌This is not an exhibition about dead silversmiths. John Andrew Curator of The Pearson Silver Collection April, 2018
John Andrew at the Goldsmiths’ Centre April, 2018 Clerkenwell, London
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John Pearson Andrew was a born collector. At the age of four, Andrew recalls his father returning home disappointed that he had been passed an Eire (Irish) silver half crown in his change. Because it was illegal tender, it could not be spent in England. Andrew asked to see the coin, expecting something without worth to be ugly. Taken by the beauty of its design—a stallion on one side and a harp on the other—Andrew asked if he could have it. Upon his father’s approval, Andrew took possession of his first collection object. While in his teens, he initially financed his “habit” by working weekends in a fruit and vegetable shop, acquiring a considerable collection and becoming a serious numismatist along the way. At the age of nineteen, Andrew sold his coin collection and began focusing his attention on domestic silver, with an emphasis on antique and early twentieth-century work. His collecting interests also ranged to portrait miniatures and Fabergé. In 1984, Andrew attended a silver auction viewing in London in search of Georgian boxes and was unexpectedly struck by the exceptional workmanship and modern design of a hand-raised goblet by Stuart Devlin (1931–2018), whom Andrew had earlier interviewed regarding his designs for national coinage in Australia and elsewhere. Andrew purchased the goblet and immediately began searching for more modern silver. After coming upon and acquiring work by Gerald Benney (1930–2008), including the first of what would become a collection of nearly sixty boxes by the artist, Andrew was committed to this new direction and pursued silver items by other British modernists. At age forty, Andrew had what he describes as his “Road to Damascus” experience when he decided to sell his other collections to finance his acquisition of modern British silver. With little popular interest in this area and few available books on the subject, Andrew contacted the artists directly to learn more. He soon abandoned the criteria of being guided by weight and focused
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on superior design and craftsmanship. He has befriended most of those whom he collects, and he cherishes his visits to their respective studios from England’s southern coast to the Scottish countryside. He holds a special fondness for trips to the Perthshire Highlands to visit the studio of Malcolm Appleby (b. 1946), whom Andrew refers to as “the Saint of Silversmithing.” Andrew considers the differences between passionate, obsessive, or addictive collectors to be minor. For him, he began collecting modern British silver not as an end in itself, but as a means to understand its clear departure from the prevailing Bauhaus-inspired style of the 1950s and the burst of creativity that occurred in the 1960s. He takes particular pride in reuniting the pieces of separated sets and repatriating British silver from locations around the world. His passion for modern British silver continues unabated, and he collects today’s young silversmiths with the same enthusiasm as when he first came upon the work of Stuart Devlin and Gerald Benney more than three decades ago. Indeed, through the Collection’s sister organization, The Pearson Silver Foundation, young silversmiths are actively encouraged and promoted. By sharing some of his collection objects for exhibition at the San Francisco International Airport, Andrew hopes to reach visitors from around the world who will return home to share their perspectives on “what may be the best kept secret in Britain—that we perform silversmithing at the highest level of craftsmanship and export an extraordinary standard of design.”
Special thanks to our exhibition partner John Andrew, curator of The Pearson Silver Collection; and to The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, London; The Incorporation of Goldsmiths, Edinburgh; and to designersilversmiths Malcolm Appleby and Angus McFadyen for their generous participation in this exhibition.
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What I am trying to do, and what four or five others in my field are trying to do, is to recreate an international image of English silver in modern terms...what we want to do is to bring the whole craft up-to-date with all the skill in the making that made the earlier silver famous.
Gerald Benney (1930–2008) Stung by the criticism of an American visitor to his studio that his silver was “all Scandinavian,” an indignant Gerald Benney subsequently broke the idiom with silver designed to be distinctively English—to be “rugged, solid, and functional,” while exhibiting the superb craftsmanship that made the country’s eighteenth-century silverwork famous. Much of Benney’s output features a textured finish applied with a technique he accidentally discovered while hand-raising the bowl of a cup with a damaged planishing hammer in 1961. Inspired by the results, he filed the hammer’s head to emphasize the pattern. Benney’s “Bark Finish,” as it came to be known, provided a contemporary look and tarnish-repelling quality to his forms. With a desire to introduce color to his work in the late 1960s, Benney brought Norwegian enameller Berger Bergerson to England to help his studio perfect an array of translucent enamels. Although known for his domestic silver, Benney produced boxes throughout his career, including the exhibited example with enameled lid and a nearly invisible flush hinge that demonstrates an extraordinary level of craftsmanship.
Cigar cannister 1974
Cigar cannister 1972
Round box 1976
Gerald Benney (1930–2008) London sterling silver, bronze enamel, suede lining The Pearson Silver Collection
Gerald Benney (1930–2008) London sterling silver, dark blue enamel, suede lining The Pearson Silver Collection
Gerald Benney (1930–2008) London sterling silver, deep red enamel The Pearson Silver Collection
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L2018.1801.067a,b
L2018.1801.068a,b
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Vase 1969
Vase 1974
Gerald Benney (1930–2008) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection
Gerald Benney (1930–2008) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection
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Box 1970 Gerald Benney (1930–2008) London sterling silver, dark green enamel, white enamel The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.066
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Candelabrum for Lord McAlpine 1965 Gerald Benney (1930–2008) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.065
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I felt that the nature of my craft and the romance of precious metals gave me an opportunity to design pieces that added delight, surprise, intrigue and even amusement to what had become austere and even sterile within the ‘modern’ idiom of design.
Stuart Devlin (1931–2018) Australian-born Stuart Devlin earned a travel scholarship for London’s Royal College of Art, where he studied silversmithing and industrial design from 1958 to 1960. He was subsequently awarded a Harkness Fellowship to pursue silversmithing and sculpture at New York’s Columbia University. After returning to Australia in 1963, Devlin won the competition to design Australia’s first decimal coinage, which changed his life’s trajectory. While supervising the cutting of the dies at London’s Royal Mint, he discovered that British silver was generally shedding its 1950s Scandinavian influence and developing a style of its own. He returned to London in 1965 and established a studio and workshop using his decimal coinage prize money. Devlin employed his sculptor’s skills to produce a wide variety of textures with molten metal and filigree applied to his exquisite forms. Devlin’s extraordinary creativity inspired his contemporaries and helped propel designer British silver to its renowned position today. Devlin was appointed Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company in 1996. He was integral to the founding of the Goldsmiths’ Centre, which opened in 2012 to address the shortcomings in the creative education and training of silversmiths and goldsmiths.
Ice pitcher 1969 Stuart Devlin (1931–2018) London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.054
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Figured coffee service 1975 Stuart Devlin (1931–2018) London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.055.01-.03
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Box with amethyst 1970 Stuart Devlin (1931–2018) London 18k gold, amethyst The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.058
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Easter egg with hedgehog 1972 Stuart Devlin (1931–2018) London sterling silver, gilt, amethyst The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.059a,b
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Pair of candlesticks 1970 Stuart Devlin (1931–2018) London sterling silver, gilt filigree guard The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.056.01-.02
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Domestic silver has been called ‘functional sculpture’…it has to have the essential quality of sculptural form and its effect on the space around it, but it must also be fit for purpose—it must function.
Alex Styles (1922–2017) Alex Styles was among the earliest and most influential designers of modern British silver. Although trained as a silversmith, Styles focused on design and did not make silver commercially. He joined the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Company in 1946 and was promoted to Head Designer when the company merged with Garrard and Company six years later. In the 1950s, Styles’ design philosophy established Garrard’s as the major retailer of modern British silver. Made in limited numbers, his prolific designs represent nearly all forms of domestic and commercial silver, including sporting trophies and regalia. Styles designed several cigarette boxes with enameled sides during the 1950s, including the exhibited example featuring a woodland scene. Styles’ boat-shaped centerpiece features an openwork cover in an abstract pattern of stars that contrasts dramatically with the bowl’s gilded interior. By the late 1960s, Styles’ designs for hollowware featured more streamlined forms with typically “beak-like” spouts reflected in his exhibited coffee service. Styles retired from Garrard’s in 1987 and received a Lifetime Achievement Medal at the Goldsmiths’ Craftsmanship and Design Awards in 2011.
Coffee service 1967 Alex Styles (1922–2017); Garrard & Co. London sterling silver, parcel-gilt, nylon The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.008.01-.03
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Cigarette box 1957 Alex Styles (1922–2017); Garrard & Co.; made by Vic LeBossart of Padgett and Branham London sterling silver, blue enamel, cedar lining The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.006
Centerpiece 1961 Alex Styles (1922–2017); Garrard & Co.; made by Wakely & Wheeler London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.010
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Caddy spoon 1968 Alex Styles (1922–2017); Garrard & Co. Sheffield sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.011
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Whatever I was designing, it was not about being high-tech, but about the visual qualities. I was finding solutions to technical problems through making—not being an engineer, but looking at objects for their shapes. I could see what I wanted to do.
Brian Asquith (1930–2008) Brian Asquith (1930–2008) was a sculptor and industrial designer who excelled as a silversmith. He enrolled in the Junior Art Department of the Sheffield College of Art at age twelve and in 1947 was awarded a scholarship to study sculpture at the Royal College of Art (RCA). While at RCA, Asquith was introduced to silversmithing. During the 1950s, Asquith focused on industrial design and assembled a diverse portfolio of work that included in-flight china for British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), tire treads for Dunlop, hand tools for Spear and Jackson, and mass-produced kitchens for Magnet. Asquith began working with silver professionally in the mid-1960s. His first commission from the Goldsmiths’ Company in 1968 was for a modern tea service of hand-raised silver with nylon fittings that remains one of his favorite works. Around this time, Asquith introduced a range of heavy-gauge domestic silver items that combined production techniques with studio-quality sculptural texture. Beginning in the 1970s, Asquith introduced acrylic into silverwork, adding complexity and color to his stately designs.
Tea service 1968 Brian Asquith (1930–2008) Sheffield sterling silver, nylon The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.039.01a,b-.03
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Siphon and pair of goblets on salver 1967– 68 Brian Asquith (1930–2008) Sheffield sterling silver, parcel-gilt, paudauk wood base (siphon) The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.038.01-.04
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Paperweight and pen holder from desk set 1977 Brian Asquith (1930–2008) Sheffield sterling silver, acrylic The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.036a,b
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Trophy for Blue Circle Cement 1984 Brian Asquith (1930–2008) Sheffield sterling silver, acrylic The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.037
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The visual arts, in particular drawing and painting, have always been compelling…Whatever the medium, the challenge is always to find a unity of line, form, and proportion. Drawing, in its broadest sense, is the means by which these aims are achieved.
K e i t h R e d f e r n ( b. 1 9 3 5 ) Keith Redfern showed an aptitude for drawing and painting from an early age and intended to study painting in the highly competitive programs at the Royal College of Art (RCA) or Slade School of Fine Art. After failing to gain acceptance into the highly competitive programs, Redfern shifted his focus to silversmithing, which he had first undertaken at age fourteen while a student in the Junior Art Department of the Sheffield College of Art. He applied to the School of Silversmithing and Jewellery at RCA, beginning coursework in 1958. Redfern’s unconventional mustard pot was made shortly after his graduation from RCA in 1961. Below the cover lies a ceramic liner with two chambers, presumably for English and French mustard, respectively. Redfern designed a teapot with overhead handle for Silver Workshop Limited, a company he formed with two RCA graduates in 1970. Redfern’s clock in the form of a vintage car headlight was one of two made for Asprey’s “Living with Silver” exhibition in 1997. Much of Redfern’s recent work consists of singular commissions, including those made for the Goldsmiths’ Company and the Silver Trust for Downing Street.
Mustard pot c. 1963 Keith Redfern (b. 1935) London sterling silver, yew wood, ceramic liner The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.002.01
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Water jug 1992 Keith Redfern (b. 1935) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.004
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Teapot 1966 Keith Redfern (b. 1935); Silver Workshop Ltd. London sterling silver, teak handle The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.003a,b
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Clock 1997 Keith Redfern (b. 1935) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.005
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I do not limit myself to one technique that has to fit all occasions. This can sometimes be a little unsettling for someone with fixed ideas and therefore it is with a certain degree of courage that the client allows him or herself to be led along a very private path of discovery.
A n t h o n y E l s o n ( b. 1 9 3 5 ) Anthony Elson designed production silverware for nearly two decades before concentrating on commission work. Elson studied silversmithing at the Brighton College of Art from 1956 to 1960 and experimented with machining to decorate his silver designs at the Royal College of Art. In 1964, Elson was hired by William Comyns and Sons to manage the design and manufacture of production silverware. At Comyns, he was introduced to traditional silversmithing techniques and designed several retail items, including the chased and gilded candlesticks on exhibit. In 1966, Elson established his own company on London’s Clerkenwell Road, designing and producing domestic silverware for luxury retailers. The water beakers on display on the opposite page were retailed by Spink and feature distinctive, parcel-gilt bases that were cast from a machined mold. By the early 1980s, Elson shifted his focus towards commission work, with clients ranging from London’s Inner Temple to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. One of Elson’s recent designs is the remarkably formed and detailed Raptor jug, intended for adding iced water to a glass of whiskey. Elson innovated the use of chemicals to produce the variety of patinated colors that decorate the surface of the vessel.
Water beakers 1977 and 1979 Anthony Elson (b. 1935) London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.099.01-.06
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Raptor jug commissioned by John Andrew 2016 Anthony Elson (b. 1935) designed and patinated; raised by Norman Bassant (b. 1932); chased by Richard Price (b. 1935) London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.102
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Candlesticks 1964 Anthony Elson (b. 1935); William Comyns & Sons London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.100.01-.02
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Bonbonnière 1976 Anthony Elson (b. 1935) London sterling silver, silver gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.101
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I feel fortunate as a designer in having had a thorough training as a craftsman. The pencil automatically adjusts to what the hammer and metal will do. In this way, the medium cannot be misused.
C h r i s t o p h e r L a w r e n c e ( b. 1 9 3 6 ) Christopher Lawrence is a designer-craftsman who considers design to be a paramount talent for the accomplished silversmith. He utilizes a simple and direct formula that combines proven forms with innovative finishes. After completing his apprenticeship in the workshops of C.J. Vander, Lawrence worked for master silversmith Robert Edgar Stone (1903–90), during which time he garnered a prestigious Jacques Cartier Award for his flat work. In 1961, Lawrence was hired by Gerald Benney’s workshop, where he transitioned from traditional to modern design and earned two additional Cartier Awards. In 1968, Lawrence left Benney to establish his own workshop, quickly exhibiting his superb hammering skills on a great range of forms. Although influenced by Benney’s “Bark Finish,” Lawrence developed his own versions of textured silver, seen in his distinctive application on a cigarette box and the subtle “onion skin” texture of his decanter set. Lawrence’s candelabra feature suspended warbler’s nests that required seventy to eighty hours to weave. The nests open to reveal parcel-gilt bowls.
Reed Warbler candelabra 1972 Christopher Lawrence (b. 1936) London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.073.01-.02
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Decanter and goblets on salver 1973 Christopher Lawrence (b. 1936) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.072.01-.08
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Salt shaker and pepper mill 1973 Christopher Lawrence (b. 1936) London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.075a,b
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Cigarette box 1972 Christopher Lawrence (b. 1936) London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.071
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My ideas are usually triggered by an observation or some event. For example, the inspiration for the water jug was triggered by two sailing boats approaching each other. I found the billowing effect of their sails fascinating.
I a n C a l v e r t ( b. 1 9 3 8 ) In 1951 at age thirteen, Ian Calvert enrolled at Gravesend School of Art in South East England. Three years later, he was apprenticed to Robert Edgar Stone (1903–90), but also studied design in evening courses at London’s Central School of Arts and Crafts. Stone encouraged Calvert to produce his own designs for Stone’s company. After a brief stint at Wakely and Wheeler, Calvert managed the Silver Workshop Limited, making designs by Tony Laws (b. 1935), Ronald Stevens (b. 1936), and Keith Redfern (b. 1935) from 1963 to 1972. Calvert started an independent workshop in the early 1970s and received a variety of notable commissions, including a watercolor paint box for His Royal Highness Prince Charles. In 1993, Garrard and Company commissioned work for an exhibition to commemorate their 150 th year as the Crown Jeweller, including a goblet Calvert designed and made. Calvert’s extraordinary craftsmanship is on full display in the cigarette box designed by Tony Laws, with a helix-like twist to its rectangular form and two flush, four-lug hinges that “disappear” when the box is closed.
Water jug 2011 Ian Calvert (b. 1938) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.022
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Cigarette box 1975 Ian Calvert (b. 1938); Tony Laws (b. 1935) design for Silver Workshop Ltd. London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.021
Salt and pepper pots 1969 Ian Calvert (b. 1938); Tony Laws (b. 1935) design for Silver Workshop Ltd. London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.020a,b
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Requesting a completely free creative hand, I was given the opportunity to design a series of pieces that resulted in more abstract and sculptural works, drawing questions of functionality, yet still very capable of fulfilling their purpose.
Pa u l M a r s d e n ( b. 1 9 6 4 ) Paul Marsden graduated with honors in Jewellery and Silversmithing from Loughborough College of Art and Design in the East Midlands in 1986. After a brief period of teaching, Marsden was appointed designer of silverware and objets d’art at Garrard and Company, which served as the Crown Jewellers at the time. Marsden’s primary interest, however, remained with silver forms. In 1993, Garrard commissioned work for an exhibition to commemorate their 150th year as the Crown Jeweller, which included Marsden’s design for a four-piece tea service made by Ian Calvert (b. 1938) Marsden began his process with abstract, minimalist sketches and black-and-white photographs of beached boats on the South East coast of England. He then experimented with a series of card paper models “to develop form, volume and stability before finally committing to the finished set.” The service earned the prestigious Goldsmiths’ Company Award for work that is judged to have achieved the highest standards of both design and craftsmanship.
Milk jug from four-piece tea service 1993 Ian Calvert (b. 1938); Paul Marsden (b. 1964) design for Garrard & Co. London sterling silver, Madagascar ebony The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.024.01
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Making and creating is part of my daily cycle…The making process is an inspiration in itself. I much prefer natural forms and textures to industrial forms and polished surfaces, frequently distorting the silver using corroded tools. These make subtle textures and informal surfaces over which I can engrave.
M a l c o l m A p p l e b y ( b. 1 9 4 6 ) Malcolm Appleby, an exceptionally gifted draftsman, is renowned for his bold designs and innovative engraving techniques. His work effected a more thorough shift in modern British silver from industrial design to handcrafted studio art. Appleby has long been a proponent of hands-on education through intensive workshops, and has inspired generations of silversmiths to make items that appeal to themselves and their clients, rather than catering to popular trends. A generous collaborator with a personality “larger than life,” Appleby is credited with elevating the stature of independent silver artisans during the 1970s. Appleby notes that “inspiration can come from anywhere; I can turn a political catchphrase…into a lettering design for one of my silver beakers.” To realize the broadest limits of his imagination, Appleby’s work spans a variety of media and he frequently collaborates with specialized woodworkers, enamellists, jewelers, and other silversmiths. For more than forty years, designer and silversmith Peter Musgrove (b. 1946) has hand-raised many of the pieces Appleby has designed, including a remarkable teapot with walnut base, handle, and finial.
Curved caddy spoon 2008 Malcolm Appleby (b. 1946) Edinburgh sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.031
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The Enemy Within tumbler cup 2013 Malcolm Appleby (b. 1946) Edinburgh Britannia silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.029
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Clipper teapot 2016 Malcolm Appleby (b. 1946) designed and engraved; made by Peter Musgrove (b. 1946) Edinburgh sterling silver, walnut The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.026
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I see my work as a continual exploration into the possibilities within the technique of enameling and indulging the wonderful range of colors available to me. In some of the work I am interested in subtle harmonies of color, reflecting observations from nature. At other times the richness and vibrancy of the colors provoke a more personal imagery.
J a n e S h o r t ( b. 1 9 5 4 ) Jane Short studied jewelry at London’s Central School of Art and Design and was introduced to enameling by her instructor Patrick Furse (1918–2005) during her second year of coursework. Short recalls “liking the rich quality of the color and the way the light reflected through it. I fell in love with the technique.” Upon graduation, she studied silversmithing under Gerald Benney (1930–2008) and was encouraged by his introduction of color in his silver a few years earlier. Short’s early work reflects her use of cloisonné, in which the enamels are applied within compartments formed by affixed wires or strips of silver. Her current work frequently employs champlevé (enamel in carved or etched cells) and basse-taille (enamel in an engraved or chased low-relief pattern) to produce painterly images that are modeled on her watercolor designs. Short’s stunning enameling of Malcolm Appleby’s Oil Slick tumbler resulted from the designer’s request for the artist to decorate this challenging surface.
Oil Slick tumbler 2016 Malcolm Appleby (b. 1946) designed and finished; raised by Peter Musgrove (b. 1946); enameled by Jane Short (b. 1954) Edinburgh Britannia silver, enamel The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.027
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When invited to exhibit at the inaugural “Elements” silver show in Edinburgh…my memories of the Periodic Table hung in my science classroom…sparked the idea to use them as the basis for my piece, executed with a mixture of precision and freedom that I hope characterizes all my work.
K a r e n Wa l l a c e ( b. 1 9 8 4 ) Karen Wallace cites the “beautiful, diverse, and culturally stimulating country” of her native Scotland as the inspirational source for her work. After graduating from Glasgow School of Art in 2007, Wallace was trained in fine jewelry making by goldsmith Rehan Kruger (b. 1980). Wallace served an unofficial apprenticeship with master silversmith and engraver Malcolm Appleby and has worked with him since 2012. Like Appleby, Wallace is fascinated with lettering. Whereas Appleby employs phrases, Wallace is interested in the letters themselves. Wallace’s craftsmanship and skill as an engraver are exhibited in her tumbler cup, which playfully lists all elements of the periodic table except silver.
Tumbler cup 2015 Karen Wallace (b. 1984) Edinburgh Britannia silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.034
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I wanted to be a painter but the prospects for a woman in the 1960s were bleak. Silversmithing at the time was a blank page and I wrote on it. As the years have gone by, my passion for the craft and its history has increased.
J o c e l y n B u r t o n ( b. 1 9 4 6 ) When Jocelyn Burton applied to the silversmithing department at London’s Sir John Cass College in 1967, she was denied admission. The College did not accept women as full-time silversmith students. Undeterred, Burton studied jewelry at the College by day and took silversmithing courses in the evenings. One year later, she won the 1968 De Beers International Diamond Award—a prestigious accolade for any established designer, but particularly for a student pursuing their early coursework. A truly multi-dimensional artist, Burton begins her design process by drawing and then painting studies to be produced in silver. Much of her inspiration is derived from oceanic life, and Burton’s collection of shells and other natural wonders is a key feature of her London workshop. Burton is also known for incorporating semi-precious stones into her silver designs. The Fitzwilliam goblets evoke early twentieth-century British Arts and Crafts design, with each incorporating five eight-carat topaz cabochons. The goblets were commissioned in a limited edition to raise funds for the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum.
Shell vases 2003 Jocelyn Burton (b. 1946) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.046-.047
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Pair of goblets 1971 Jocelyn Burton (b. 1946) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.049.01-.02
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Pair of Fitzwilliam goblets 1975 Jocelyn Burton (b. 1946); made by Hector Miller (b. 1945) for Aurum Designs London sterling silver, parcel-gilt, blue topaz The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.048.01-.02
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Behind the world of the artisan is…that desire to take an inanimate material, and bring it to life in a form or image that will sing out; that desire to pay homage to my surroundings, to my creativity; that thanksgiving to that first bite into the apple of awareness.
M i c h a e l L l o y d ( b. 1 9 5 0 ) Michael Lloyd’s silver reflects his reverence for nature and the inspiration he finds in the landscape of Scotland’s Galloway region, where he has lived and worked since 1989. While attending Wolverhampton College of Art in the West Midlands, Lloyd was introduced to the work of Arts and Crafts designer William Morris (1834–96). This experience altered his artistic trajectory from industrial production towards studio work. Lloyd transferred to the School of Silversmithing and Jewellery in Birmingham and took residence in an old, wooden narrow boat on the Southern Stratford Canal to retain his “rural seeing eye.” Lloyd later studied under Robert Gooden (1909-2002) and Gerald Benney (1930–2008) at London’s Royal College of Art, where he refined a number of silversmithing techniques, including chasing— a method that utilizes hammers and chasers to press surface decoration directly into the metal. The Northumberland clock, one of Lloyd’s early works, is chased with trees and punctuated by several gilt fruit. While referring to his Thorn bowl, Lloyd explained, “The inspiration were thorns but I played with them, making them more abstract and altering the proportions. The fact it was not commissioned gave me an element of freedom.”
Thorn bowl 2012 Michael Lloyd (b. 1950) Edinburgh Britannia silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.015
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Northumberland clock 1978 Michael Lloyd (b. 1950) London sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.017
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Vase made in memory of John Andrew’s mother 2018 Michael Lloyd (b. 1950) Edinburgh Britannia silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.018
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I use the chasing tools in a slightly unusual way which allows the individual strike marks to be visible and each element to retain a trace of the accidental and organic. This visible trace of the process of making is very important to me.
R o w a n B e r r y ( b. 1 9 9 6 ) After submitting drawings, plans, and digital renderings, Rowan Berry (b. 1996) was honored as the 2017 Incorporation of Goldsmiths Outstanding Scottish Student while attending the Glasgow School of Art. The award allowed Berry to create a silver goblet under the tutelage of silversmith and master chaser Michael Lloyd (b. 1950) at his workshop in Dumfries and Galloway. Of Berry’s inspiration for the goblet, the artist states she is “inspired by religious, spiritual and personal objects, and the connotations of the simple symbols of the circle and cross. I understand the symbols of the circle and cross to mean many different things in connection to love, religion, luck and faith. I wanted the goblet to have a real sense of being made by hand, and an important part of translating this was using chasing.”
Goblet 2017 Rowan Berry (b. 1996) Edinburgh Britannia silver, parcel-gilt Collection of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh L2018.1801.019
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I like the pieces I design to seem to have sprung into existence without any particular effort.
M a r t y n P u g h ( b. 1 9 5 1 ) Martyn Pugh is a designer-silversmith who is known for creating modern forms with graceful and flowing lines. The elegant vessels of Pugh’s Linear Design coffee service successfully demonstrate the artist’s intention to design sculptural forms with practical applications and reflect his desire for lines that “appear to travel on invisibly to infinity.” The streamlined pot features an insulated handle and a flush hinge to operate the lid. The interiors of both the milk jug and the sugar bowl are gilded. Pugh’s silverwork reflects his belief that “function and mechanics are of equal importance to uncompromised beauty.” The Orbit tea service, for example, has origins in research that revealed a spherical shape as the most efficient form for a teapot. When designing the service, Pugh dramatically tipped the teapot’s spout upward with its handle towards the back for excellent balance and control, creating a striking form that “pours the tea itself” when raised. Discs of recycled ebony serve as insulators on the spherical feet and knobs of all three vessels. Their “orbit” is defined by silver pegs that mark the perimeter of the tray.
Linear Design coffee service 1998 Martyn Pugh (b. 1951) Birmingham sterling silver, parcel-gilt, acetal insulators The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.083.01-.03
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Orbit tea service 2001 Martyn Pugh (b. 1951) Birmingham sterling silver, parcel-gilt, recycled ebony insulators, ebonized wood tray The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.082.01, .02a,b, .03, .04
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I specialize in traditional silversmithing techniques; mostly hand-raising to produce fluid, curvaceous forms designed to be sensuous and sensational to touch.
Ta r a C o o m b e r ( b. 1 9 7 5 ) Tara Coomber hand-raised many of Martyn Pugh’s designs from 1999 to 2004. To acknowledge her work, Pugh engraved the words “Tara Coomber helped make me” in discreet places on several pieces. Coomber’s personal output includes a range of bold and delicate designs, with an emphasis on simplicity of line. The artist’s superb craftsmanship is apparent in her Ammonite box made for a desktop. The box is quite tactile and brilliantly incorporates a crosssection of a fossil for the ribbed, spiral-formed shell of the ancient sea creature. Among Coomber’s numerous awards are the Assay Office Prize from the British Jewellery Association and a grant from the Goldsmiths’ Company.
Ammonite box 2005 Tara Coomber (b. 1975) Birmingham sterling silver, ammonite The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.085
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People watch the raising process and they see a person hammering away. The assumption almost always seems to be that the metal is being stretched. It is, quite remarkably, being compressed.
A d r i a n H o p e ( b. 1 9 5 3 ) Adrian Hope is best known for his embossed silver forms. A pioneer in the technique of silver embossing, Hope applies paper designs to sheets of silver and passes them through the steel rollers of a press. His designs are transmitted in relief directly to the silver and the texture of the paper appears on the entire silver sheet. Any seams that are necessary to fabricate larger pieces are incorporated as defining features. On his standing dish, Hope used a TIG welder to join nine embossed panels along concave seams that are emphasized on the top surface and accentuated as ridges on the underside. Hope’s house-shaped reliquary was also constructed from silver sheets processed through his rolling machine. When asked what is kept in such an object, Hope replied, “Anything you want to remember, or forget.� Hope regards making a teapot as a test of his technical and artistic competence, which is fully demonstrated by the beautiful form, discreet soldering, and finely hammered surface of this hand-raised vessel with holly wood knob and handle.
Bowl 2000 Adrian Hope (b. 1953) Edinburgh sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.076
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Standing dish 2006 Adrian Hope (b. 1953) Edinburgh Britannia silver, 18k gold roundel The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.079
House-shaped reliquary 2001 Adrian Hope (b. 1953) Edinburgh sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.080
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Teapot 2013 Adrian Hope (b. 1953) Edinburgh sterling silver, holly wood The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.078a,b
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Bottle vase 2012 Adrian Hope (b. 1953) Edinburgh Britannia silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.077
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What I love about designing silver is imagining my works becoming beloved family treasures.
Pa u l B e l v o i r ( b. 1 9 6 3 ) Paul Belvoir is a designer of silver, furnishings, and lighting. Much of his output combines traditional forms and ideals with a modern approach. Initially, Belvoir was inspired by the purity of form found in ancient Greek art and the classical laws of proportion. Belvoir is also heavily influenced by the work of Umberto Boccioni (1882–1916) and other machine-age futurist artists. While at the Medway School of Art, he changed his course of study from practical silversmithing to silver design. In 1984, Belvoir received a prestigious De Beers National Design Award. Belvoir has produced commissioned work for Lord Jacob Rothschild and Charles Saatchi, among others, and is currently designing a botanical garden in Tangiers.
Pair of bowls 2012 Paul Belvoir (b. 1963) London sterling silver, amethyst The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.041.01-.02
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Candelabrum 1998 Paul Belvoir (b. 1963) London sterling silver, rose quartz The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.044
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Pair of candlesticks 1988 Paul Belvoir (b. 1963) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.043.01-.02
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Salver 1988 Paul Belvoir (b. 1963) London sterling silver, rock crystal The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.042
…each item is designed to express itself; a vessel will express containment, a spout will be exulted for the way it pours, a handle will ask how to be held. Each function evokes thought by demanding a greater sense than that of bland convenience.
C h r i s K n i g h t ( b. 1 9 6 4 ) Chris Knight’s sauceboat, formed as a ladle with spiked handle, was the first object produced for his master’s program at the Royal College of Art and the first of his “spiked silver” series. At the time, Knight noted his concern with the relationship between the visual and tactile qualities of “visually aggressive objects…objects that may hurt,” but attract us nonetheless. Knight’s pitcher and goblets were part of a growing body of work that explored how we recognize the functional elements of domestic objects. Knight asserts that the common formal language of handles and spouts “enables me to design ambiguity and tensions into their perceived function.” In designing his soup tureen and ladle, Knight stated his intention to “take a breath and move away from the confrontational work to make a simple, functional piece of silverware” and “a small comment on the cross-cultural nature of modern society in the millennium…all nationalities have their soup.” Knight’s silverwork is held in private collections as well as public institutions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Goldsmiths’ Company, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Sauceboat 1991 Chris Knight (b. 1964) Sheffield sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.014
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Pitcher with goblets 1993 Chris Knight (b. 1964) Sheffield sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.013.01-.05
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Soup tureen and ladle 2001 Chris Knight (b. 1964) Sheffield sterling silver, holly wood The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.021.01a,b, .021.02
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I’ll go anywhere to get a feel for my subject matter, whether it’s a river to study wild brown trout, London Zoo to study leopards, or visiting historic buildings to draw and capture views and details, all of which are then woven into my designs.
R o d K e l l y ( b. 1 9 5 6 ) Rod Kelly studied drawing at Preston Polytechnic before transitioning to 3D Design courses at Birmingham Polytechnic School of Art and Design. Kelly recalls that he borrowed a set of chasing tools while at the college and “stumbled upon the technique of chasing by chance… I liked the lines, controlling the metal and the black and white colors of silver.” The results of chasing can appear as engraving, with a linear design produced upon the metal. In chasing, however, the metal is not removed; it is pushed into a desired pattern by moving the surface with hammers and punches. Kelly’s pair of Carp vases, completed in 1987 for Garrard and Company, was the artist’s first major commercial commission. For the source material of his design, Kelly purchased two rainbow trout, froze them into contorted, curved forms, and then rendered a series of sketches. The fish are surrounded by a plant motif based on species of native grasses Kelly collected along Hampshire’s River Itchen in South East England. Kelly’s final illustration and design took a matter of days, while the chasing was accomplished over five weeks at a rate of approximately one square inch each hour.
Water jug 1993 Rod Kelly (b. 1956) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.087 ‑
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Fish caddy spoon (and verso detail) 2005 Rod Kelly (b. 1956) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.089
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Carp vases 1987 Rod Kelly (b. 1956); Garrard & Co. London sterling silver, 18k gold inlay The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.088.01-.02
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Drawing is still very important in the evolution of new designs, and I find many colorful images start me off on a path towards a final series of work; these could be bright and colorful sweet wrappings, drawings from a kaleidoscope, or a study of leaves and berries.
S h e i l a M c D o n a l d ( b. 1 9 5 8 ) Sheila McDonald is an enamellist whose passion for jewelry design focuses on color. Starting with sketches and watercolors, McDonald envisions items that are linked by color more than by symmetry of design. Once her layouts are complete, McDonald applies brightly colored, transparent enamels to items crafted in silver. Initially trained as a textile designer at the Glasgow School of Art, McDonald later focused on jewelry and silversmithing. McDonald concluded her studies at the Royal College of Art, where she met her husband, silversmith Rod Kelly (b. 1956). The two share workshops in Norfolk and Shetland, and they occasionally collaborate on commissions and other projects.
Peacock caddy spoon 2015 Sheila McDonald (b. 1958) Edinburgh sterling silver, enamel The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.090
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I believe those of us who make things do so because we love to make, possibly even have to make, and that a maker’s craftsmanship adds something to a piece to which others respond or relate.
A n g u s M c Fa d y e n ( b. 1 9 6 2 ) Trained as a jeweler, Angus McFadyen taught himself to engrave through trial and error, carefully translating designs from his sketches onto silver forms. McFadyen’s Fern vase, commissioned by the Goldsmiths’ Company, is one of the first items he made using fine (99.9%) silver, which, due to its softness, is easier to raise. The motif for McFadyen’s Honeysuckle vase is inspired by a wallpaper pattern by British Arts and Crafts designer Lewis Foreman Day (1845–1910). Flowers engraved in low relief are set against a background pattern of slightly elongated dots cut at right angles to one another, which allows light to reflect from different decorative elements with each turn and from every angle. In recent years, the artist became fascinated by antique watch mechanisms and repurposed them into his work. McFadyen’s desk clock features a movement from a 1916 pocket watch that was scrapped for its gold case. The clock’s sterling silver case is engraved with a pattern of foliage, which was then gilded and carefully polished by hand to preserve the gold within the engraving.
Chrysanthemum tea service 1999 (pot) and 2010 Angus McFadyen (b. 1962) Edinburgh sterling silver, moonstone finial The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.104.01-.03
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Honeysuckle vase 2013 Angus McFadyen (b. 1962) Edinburgh Britannia silver The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths L2018.1801.105
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Fern vase 2009 Angus McFadyen (b. 1962) Edinburgh fine silver The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths L2018.1801.106
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Box commissioned by John Andrew 2018 Angus McFadyen (b. 1962) Edinburgh sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.107
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Desk clock 2013 Angus McFadyen (b. 1962) Edinburgh sterling silver, parcel-gilt The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.103
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The appearance and working properties of silver make it totally unique. For me, it offers enough potential in terms of creative possibilities to last a lifetime.
R e b e c c a d e Q u i n ( b. 1 9 5 8 ) Rebecca de Quin is drawn to the vast, artistic potential offered by working with silver. As a silversmith and teacher, she is “captivated by the purity and simplicity of silver sheet” and has found inspiration in the two-dimensional works of the cubist painter Amédée Ozenfant (1886–1966), the modernist architect and artist Le Corbusier (1887–1965), and her father, the constructivist sculptor Robert de Quin (1927–2002). The water jug and beakers were commissioned for Asprey’s 1997 exhibition, “Living with Silver.” The vessels are stunning examples of de Quin’s ability to convert flat material into perfect threedimensional objects. In her work, de Quin wishes to “challenge perceptions of three-dimensional form.” Her innovative silversmithing techniques that combine cutting, scoring, and folding are demonstrated in her centerpiece, which provides remarkably different impressions from all perspectives. De Quin’s four-sided box is one in a series of three creative approaches by the artist to explore design alternatives to the traditional box form.
Water jug with four beakers and tray 1997 Rebecca de Quin (b. 1958) London sterling silver, glass The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.092.01-.06
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Centerpiece 1996 Rebecca de Quin (b. 1958) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.093
Box 1996 Rebecca de Quin (b. 1958) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.091
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The process of designing and making work enables me to take an idea through to completion, and it is this attempt to perfect the visual and tactile qualities in three-dimensional form that gives me most satisfaction as a silversmith.
To b y R u s s e l l ( b. 1 9 6 3 ) Toby Russell is fascinated by the process of creating a work on paper and then transferring it to a three-dimensional form. A designer-silversmith based in London, Russell combines organic elements found in desert landscapes, coastal formations, and bodies of water with modern and architectural forms. One of Russell’s characteristic techniques involves the scoring, folding, and soldering of silver sheet to emphasize the reflection and movement of water, which is employed brilliantly in his vase made for Asprey’s 1997 exhibition, “Living with Silver.” A Freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company, Russell was one of four silversmiths selected to complete the Company’s Millennium commissions.
Vase 1997 Toby Russell (b. 1963) London Britannia silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.095
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Caddy spoon commissioned by John Andrew 2000 Toby Russell (b. 1963) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.096
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My new work investigates the meeting of contrasting elements within a form. Simple, heavy and calm bowl forms are ‘interrupted’ by visually complex, open and delicate structures. The essence is in the dialogue, the tension or collision that happens in that meeting point.
A n e C h r i s t e n s e n ( b. 1 9 7 2 ) Ane Christensen was raised in Copenhagen and moved to London in 1993 to study jewelry design at Sir John Cass Faculty of Art. Christensen completed her Master’s degree in Metalwork and Silversmithing at the Royal College of Art before establishing her practice in 1999. The artist finds inspiration in urban landscapes, specifically in elements of architectural decay and the negative spaces that exist between structures. With her Dented series, Christensen challenged herself to design a sculptural bowl from a single piece of sheet metal without adding or removing material. Christensen’s bowl began with the perfect geometry of the form and was partially deconstructed and shaped through the processes of piercing and folding.
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Dented bowl 2005 Ane Christensen (b. 1972) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.110
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Chance is always a welcome part of the design process for me. Fold-forming results in an imperfect symmetry which is very common in nature.
R a u n i H i g s o n ( b. 1 9 7 0 ) Much of Rauni Higson’s silverwork echoes the dramatic landscape that surrounds her studio in the Snowdonia mountain region of North Wales. Higson’s Persephone vase is an excellent example of this influence and represents the irrepressible growth of springtime vegetation found in Snowdonia’s harsh environment. The vase was made by fold-forming, a contemporary technique pioneered by Charles Lewton Brain in the early 1980s. When fold-forming, a sheet of metal is folded, hammered, and then unfolded—revealing varying, and sometimes surprising, results. Higson is a member of the Maker’s Guild in Wales, a former Chair of Contemporary British Silversmiths, and was made a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company in 2015.
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Persephone vase 2012 Rauni Higson (b. 1970) London Britannia silver The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths L2018.1801.112
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I use traditional silversmithing techniques in an untraditional way, by constructing volumes using three-dimensional principles from other disciplines, leaving solder joints visible and exploring the surface texture; I create objects that show the malleability and organic nature of silver.
S i d s e l D o r p h - J e n s e n ( b. 1 9 7 3 ) Danish-born artist Sidsel Dorph-Jensen is fascinated by the “endless possibilities of surface texture” that silver offers. As a teenager, Dorph-Jensen worked as a jeweler’s intern for a goldsmith in Sweden. She completed her training at the Royal College of Art and established a workshop in London to craft domestic silverware. The artist frequently employs traditional silversmithing techniques in an unconventional manner with her reinterpretation of three-dimensional vessels. This spot-hammered, hemispherical bowl with layered edge and overlapping, textured seams was presented in a solo exhibition at Goldsmiths’ Hall in 2005, earning Dorph-Jensen the Leonardo da Vinci Award by an organization of European Rotary clubs.
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Bowl 2005 Sidsel Dorph-Jensen (b. 1973) London fine silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.111
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I am excited by the sensual and rich forms that can be created by the rhythmic process of making and believe my nature is reflected through my work. It is delightful to be absorbed in every stage, from design to the finished piece.
N d i d i E k u b i a ( b. 1 9 7 3 ) Ndidi Ekubia is a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art. She employs traditional silversmithing techniques to push sheet silver to its working limits in her Manchester studio. The form of Ekubia’s Flamingo vase, hand-raised from a single sheet, appears liquid, as if the silver is flowing upward from the eye of a cyclone. Of Nigerian descent, Ekubia cites inspiration from her African heritage to create flowing, sculptural, and highly expressive forms that range from small, domestic items to stunning centerpieces.
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Flamingo vase 2004 Ndidi Ekubia (b. 1973) London sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.109
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Through the process of raising from one disk of the silver, only by hand-hammering and ornamented by hammering without addition and reductions, I construct innovative forms and surface inspired by Oriental traditional philosophy.
S a n g - H y e o b “ Wi l l i a m” L e e ( b. 1 9 7 4 ) William Lee trained as a coppersmith and silversmith in his native South Korea before moving to England to attend a foundation course in sculpture at Exeter College. Lee later graduated from London’s Camberwell College of Arts with a Silversmithing and Metalwork degree. In 2003, Lee earned the prestigious New Designers Goldsmiths’ Company Award. Lee specializes in hand-hammered, sculptural silver forms. When designing much of his early silver, Lee worked within a design concept based on the movement of water to express gravity and the fluidity of nature. Completed in 2006, this vase is a triumph of the silversmith’s art, hand-raised from a single piece of Britannia silver and completed without the use of seams or solder.
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Vase 2006 Sang-Hyeob “William” Lee (b. 1974) London Britannia silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.108
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My desire is that a finished piece should feel like a beautifully composed piece of music, able to be spiritually uplifting, emotionally stirring, inspiring and beautiful.
T h e r e s a N g u y e n ( b. 1 9 8 5 ) Theresa Nguyen is a designer-silversmith who is fascinated by the process of transforming an ordinary sheet of silver into a lifelike, sculptural form. Nguyen, a graduate of the Birmingham City School of Jewellery and the post-graduate workshop at Bishopsland Educational Trust, designs and creates nature-inspired silver at her studio in Birmingham. In 2011, Nguyen created her Spiritus centerpiece for an exhibition at the Goldsmiths’ Company in London. The fold-formed piece explored the artist’s perception of containment. To gather source material, Nguyen traveled to many of England’s most renowned gardens, sketching foliage and observing the manner in which plant life unfolds and reaches towards the sun.
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Spiritus centerpiece 2010 Theresa Nguyen (b. 1985) London Britannia silver The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths L2018.1801.113
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I hope to encourage an emotional response and a connection, to evoke a sense of movement, of life force, of energy, and to share the joy which I derive from the visual world around me.
M i r i a m H a n i d ( b. 1 9 8 6 ) Initially trained as a painter, Miriam Hanid was introduced to silversmithing while studying mixed-media art at the University for the Creative Arts at Farnham in South East England. Hanid takes an artistic, painterly approach to silver, incorporating chasing, engraving, and repoussĂŠ to add detail to her sculptural forms. In 2011, the artist hand-raised and chased her Winding Ways vase from a single, rectangular sheet of silver. Her surface decoration is inspired by the momentary pattern of flowing water and its “subtle yet powerful ability to shape the landscape.â€?
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Winding Ways vase 2011 Miriam Hanid (b. 1986) London fine silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.116
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I raised bowls in quite an organic way, not sitting measuring everything. I changed the stakes and hammers I used as I went until I was happy with the outcome.
J e n n a Wa t s o n ( b. 1 9 9 2 ) Glasgow-born Jenna Watson began hand-raising tiny bowls while in her third year of study at University of Dundee in Scotland. For her degree show, Watson wanted to work at a larger scale while contrasting traditional silversmithing techniques with new digital technology. Watson’s Organic bowl, the largest of a set of three, resulted from the artist’s experimentation with the formation of oyster shells and the development of their distinctive texture. Watson employed 3D scanning and used CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to “translate and manipulate the form—extruding it—playing with the different ways it could evolve.” After producing 3D prints of her resulting vessels, she then cast them in sterling silver and polished them with a light touch to maintain “as raw a finish as possible.”
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Organic bowl 2016 Jenna Watson (b. 1992) Edinburgh sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.117
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I use form and texture to create sculptural pieces. While I enjoy hand-raising silver in the traditional way, I’m equally comfortable with computer design and 3D printing.
R y a n M c C l e a n ( b. 1 9 8 1 ) Ryan McClean was raised on the shores of Scotland’s Loch Nevis and became fascinated by nature from an early age. He attended Manchester Metropolitan University from 2001 to 2004, where he worked with a multitude of materials while completing his degree in Three Dimensional Design. Recognizing his aptitude for metalwork, McClean completed post-graduate coursework in jewelry making and silversmithing at Bishopsland Educational Trust. After serving as artistin-residence at the Glasgow School of Art from 2006 to 2008, McClean established a studio and workshop in Sheffield where he produces a diverse range of work. Much of his output reflects his interest in the science behind the growth and pattern formation in naturally formed material. McClean hand-raised this vase from a single sheet of silver and hammered the texture onto the pitch-supported form.
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Vase 2008 Ryan McClean (b. 1981) London fine silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.114
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In recent months, I have been moving closer to traditional silversmithing, but I’m still keen to combine this with advanced technology…to bridge the gap between the two different approaches so that they become integrated, with the finished work having a natural feel without any hint of fabrication.
H a m i s h D o b b i e ( b. 1 9 9 1 ) Glasgow-based silversmith Hamish Dobbie gains much of his inspiration from the rugged landscape of Western Scotland. With geological features such as the hexagonal formations on the island of Staffa in mind, Dobbie uses advanced techniques that include 3D printing and CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to combine modern aesthetics and traditional silversmithing. Dobbie’s Two Brothers’ bowl comprises a pair of nesting bowls made by the artist in 2014 while in residency at the Glasgow School of Art. The highly polished surface of the spun, inner-bowl reflects an outer mesh basket made from hundreds of joined, silver shapes cast from 3D-printed components. Dobbie was the first recipient of the P & O Makower Trust Award, granted in 2015 to commission a silver vase for the National Museums of Scotland.
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Two Brothers’ bowl 2016 Hamish Dobbie (b. 1991) Edinburgh sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.115a,b
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The Pearson Silver Collection, curated by John Andrew, contains approximately 900 pieces of silver from nearly 300 British silversmiths with an emphasis on those working from the 1960s to the present. The purpose of the Collection is to support and bring greater exposure to the artists who populate the remarkable story of modern British silver, which remains largely untold both in Great Britain and around the world. The Pearson Silver Foundation was established in 2009 as the Collection’s charitable arm. Its largest commitment to date is to match the funding by the Incorporation of Goldsmiths’ Ethical Making Pledge. The Pledge is the first of its kind in the world and ensures that all students of silversmithing and jewelry in Scotland will graduate with a thorough theoretical and practical knowledge of the issues around ethical sourcing and practice. Over a three-year period, the Foundation and the Incorporation will fund part of the additional costs of ensuring that all art colleges in Scotland procure only ethically sourced precious metals. This is a truly transformative moment in the centuries’ old tradition of silversmithing in Scotland.
The Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh is a nonprofit organization established by royal charter in 1687. Today, it is the oldest consumer protection group in Scotland and is believed to be the oldest continuously operating business in the country. The Incorporation operates two charities and administers the Edinburgh Assay Office. The Incorporation has also created a series of initiatives to promote and support ethical making practices in the jewelry and silversmithing trade in Scotland. Through their programs, publications, and their annual selling exhibitions, the Incorporation promotes education about the trade, encourages the collection of fine examples of jewelry and precious metals through purchasing exhibitions, and promotes Scotland as a place of excellence for design and the crafts.
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The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, more commonly known as the Goldsmiths’ Company, is one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London. It received its first royal charter in 1327. The Goldsmiths’ Company operates the London Assay Office and supports the precious metal and jewelry crafts and industry in Great Britain through training, education, patronage, and a variety of programs. The Company’s Library collections include books, images, magazines and journals, films, and subject files on jewelry and silversmithing. The Library also maintains the Company’s archives, which date back to the fourteenth century. In 2012, the Company created The Goldsmiths’ Centre, a state-of-the-art facility that provides training to address the shortcomings in the creative education and training of goldsmiths and silversmiths. The Centre also contains exhibition facilities and workspaces for goldsmiths, silversmiths, and artisans working in allied crafts. The Company’s collection numbers more than 8,000 examples from 1350 to the present, and its collection of modern silver continues to grow with annual commissions and purchases of work by contemporary silversmiths. The Company hosts an annual selling exhibition, Goldsmiths’ Fair, where members of the public can purchase the work of more than eighty contemporary designers and craftsmen.
Contemporary British Silversmiths is recognized as the leading association for contemporary silver in the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to promote excellence in design and craftsmanship in silversmithing and to raise the profile of the craft through public exhibitions, demonstrations, workshops and skills training to attract the public to the prospect of owning and commissioning silver. Its membership includes esteemed silversmiths who are represented in collections all around the world. The association works closely with institutions such as the Goldsmiths’ Company, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Silver Trust Collection to support its aim of celebrating and promoting contemporary silver to a global audience.
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Bibliography Andrew, John, and Derek Styles. Designer British Silver: From Studios Established 1930–1985. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Antique Collectors’ Club Ltd., 2015. Dalgleish, George, and Henry Steuart Fothringham. Silver Made in Scotland. Edinburgh: National Museums of Scotland, 2008. Hughes, Graham. Gerald Benney, Goldsmith: The Story of Fifty Years at the Bench. Alfriston, East Sussex: Starcity Ltd., 1999. ———. Modern Silver: Throughout the World 1880–1967. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1967. Wallis, Rosemary Ransome. The Silversmith’s Art Made in Britain Today: The 21st Century Silver Collection of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. London: The Goldsmiths’ Company, 2015. ———. Treasures of the 20th Century: The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. London: The Goldsmiths’ Company, 2000.
Online Resources Contemporary British Silversmiths Members’ Gallery at www.contemporarybritishsilversmiths.org/member-galleries The Goldsmiths’ Directory at directory.thegoldsmiths.co.uk The Incorporation of Goldsmiths, Edinburgh www.elementsfestival.co.uk/elements-festival-makers
Glossary Basse-taille: An enameling technique that involves placing the enamel in recesses or depressions in the metal that have been carved, chased, or engraved with a pattern. Britannia silver: An alloy containing 95.84% silver by weight, with the remainder usually copper to increase hardness and strength. Champlevé: An enameling technique developed by the Celts. It involves placing the enamel in recesses or depressions in the metal’s surface. Chasing: A decorative technique that involves producing a linear design upon metal by pushing the material with hammers and punches into the desired pattern.
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Cloisonné: An enameling technique whereby the different colors of ground enamel are placed in “cells” made from metal wire before firing in a kiln. Engraving: A decorative technique that involves cutting part of the metal away with a sharp tool known as a graver. Fine silver: Fine silver is defined by its purity, and contains 99.99% silver by weight. The remainder is usually copper to increase hardness and strength. Hand-raised: This refers to a vessel that has been transformed from a sheet of metal by striking it with a hammer over stakes or formers to obtain the required shape. The metal is hammered from the base of the vessel up towards the edge and progress is “row by row.” Openwork: Ornamental work with patterns of openings and holes. Gilt: Gold applied in a thin layer to a surface. Parcel-gilt: When the interior of the bowl of a silver goblet is gilded, or when only some elements of the exterior have been gilded. Patinated/Patination: Exposing a metal to chemicals in order to change its color. Traditionally, the color was brown. In the twenty-first century, Anthony Elson (b. 1935) experimented with other chemicals to obtain a greater variety of colors on silver. Piercing: Cutting away areas for either useful or decorative effect. While this can be achieved with dies and fly press for mass production, the craftsman achieves the result using a piercing saw, a process that requires great skill. Planishing: The process of smoothing metal by pinching it between a polishing tool and a hammer. Repoussé: A technique for the modelling of sheet metal in relief from the back, using a hammer and punches. Silver gilt: The depositing of a thin layer of gold onto the surface of the silver by way of electroplating. Stakes: Usually a steel form used to help shape the object being hand-raised with a steel hammer. They can be wood when using a wooden mallet to preserve a surface of sheet metal that has already been decorated. Sterling silver: An alloy containing 92.5% silver by weight. The remainder is usually copper to increase hardness and strength, but alloy can contain elements such as germanium, zinc, platinum, or boron to reduce tarnishing as well as casting porosity.
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cover
Box commissioned by John Andrew (detail) 2018 Angus McFadyen (b. 1962) Edinburgh sterling silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.107
inside front cover
Rain II bowl (detail) 2016 Michael Lloyd (b. 1950) Edinburgh Britannia silver The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.016
opposite
Standing dish (detail) 2006 Adrian Hope (b. 1953) Edinburgh Britannia silver, 18k gold roundel The Pearson Silver Collection L2018.1801.079
Printed on recycled paper, using soy-based inks
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