A superb arts and crafts stone set silver bowl

Price: £1,000-£5,000

An exceptional arts and crafts silver bowl set with green chrysoprase. This bowl is of a heavy gauge of silver, made to a very high standard with stunning stones. The piece is not assayed but is marked for “Minns Howie”.

Minns is known as one of the leading silversmiths who worked for the Artificers Guild and my research on him is summarised further below. Minns originally seems to have worked for Joseph Hodel of the Bromsgrove Guild who witnessed his wedding in Liverpool in 1910. From 1911 Minns was working in London and had his own studio at 54 Willow Road, Hampstead, London.

This little known partnership of Minns Howie, or Minns alone, produced jewellery marked in their respective names using designs taken from, or inspired by, Edward Spencer’s Artificers Guild. This bowl, particularly the cast and applied frieze, is also very much in the style of Artificers Guild.

Maker: Minns Howie

Designer: Minns Howie

Date : c 1915

Marks: Not assayed, stamped Minns Howie, twice

Material: Sterling silver, chrysoprase

Condition: Excellent

Size: 13cm diameter, 7.5cm tall

Weight : 317g, 11.2 oz

SKU: A101 Category: Silver

Description

Minns is variously recorded as Horace or E Minns in the various journals and catalogues of the period. A record of his publications and brief biography is set out below:

1905 Bristol and Clifton 8th Arts and Crafts Exhibition: H Minns wins 3^rd prize in the silver category, behind the Guild of Handicrafts (1^st) and Gaskins (2^nd).

1910 Arts Crafts Exhibition Society: H Minns is recorded in the 1910 Catalogue as executing work for Joseph Hodel.

1910: Living in Liverpool, marriage witnessed by Joseph Hodel.

1911 census: Living in London.

1912 Arts Crafts Exhibition Society: Recorded as executing work for Edward Spencer and the Artificers Guild.

1913 Studio Journal: Work by Minns for the Artificers Guild is illustrated.

1916 Studio Journal: Minns is recorded as executing a perfume bottle (see Van den Bosch Gallery) by the Artificers Guild, designed by Edward Spencer.

1916 Arts Crafts Exhibition Society: Minns is recorded as executing work for the metal working firm of Bainbridge & Reynolds.

1926 Arts Crafts Exhibition Society: Minns is recorded as executing work for the Artificers Guild.

See Christies sale 9^th October 1992 lot 73 for a pendant in the style of Edward Spencer marked for Minns Howie. See Van den Bosch Gallery archive for an Edward Spencer designed peacock pendant marked for Minns