A silver and copper mixed metal buckle attributed to James Herbert McNair

Price range: £950

A very rare piece of Glasgow School silver by James Herbert McNair (attrib). He was part of the Glasgow Four and friends and later brother and sister in law to Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald (Frances sister).

James Herbert McNair studied and worked with his close friend Charles Rennie Mackintosh at the Glasgow School of Art and Honeyman and Keppie architects around 1890-5. Both exhibited works together throughout the 1890’s culminating in their highly acclaimed and influential exhibits at the 1902 Turin Exhibition prepared with their respective wives, the Macdonald sisters. McNair’s work is extremely scarce in any medium, most being held by Liverpool and Glasgow Museums. Sterling silver pieces by any of the Glasgow Four are exceptionally rare.

The buckles design clearly takes inspiration from African art that was so influential on Mackintosh also.  It has identical design features to a brooch by McNair published in the Studio supplement 1901/2, “Modern Design in Jewellery and Fans”, plate 23b. See image.

Maker: James Herbert McNair (attrib)

Designer: James Herbert McNair

Date : c 1900

Marks: Unmarked

Material: Sterling silver, copper

Condition: Very good.

Size: 10.0cm diameter

Weight : NM