Continuing my occasional news updates on re-uniting pieces with families, I am delighted to say that my Jephcott milk and sugar have been re-united with their teapot. These are unique handmade pieces so pretty improbable. See this link to see the milk jug.
I have been alleviating some of the frustrations of lockdown by buying spoons, and have now listed them for sale on the website. I hope you like them.
Having been moved to write an article on silver (foundation stone) cermonial trowels some years ago, I now find myself in the grip of a fascination with ceremonial (opening) keys. I have just listed three Birmingham Guild keys from 1937-9 that are beautifully made and represent the pre war optimism and ambition of St Pancras, now Camden, council. The commissioning architect of the keys was Albert John Thomas, senior architectural assistant to Edwin Lutyens . Full details at this link.
I have just listed an exceptional symbolist Glasgow School silver tea caddy by James Herbert and Frances MacDonald McNair. Full details at this link
A fortuitous, and somewhat erroneous purchase, has led me to research Albert Henry Jephcott, a central, if obscure, figure in the Leicester arts and crafts movement and a key silversmith with Dryad. See link for more details.
My Zoom lecture “Arts and crafts silver: Shaping modernity” for the Silver Society is now online at my new YouTube channel! An exciting new addition to The Peartree Collection. This channel will host video content I plan to create going forward. Meantime the lecture in four parts can be seen by clicking on the blue text/link above.
I have added to the Collection a new Giacinto Melillo vase, itself a lovely piece. It also has a laurel design that is so close in workmanship and style to the Collection’s panther handled askos that it would seem to further strengthen the attribution of Melillo to that piece also. More details at A766 and A59