The Tree of Life thumbnail 1
The Tree of Life thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Jewellery, Rooms 91, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery

The Tree of Life

Morse
ca. 1906 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Alexander Fisher was an enamel specialist whose eloquent teaching and writing on the subject did much to revive enthusiasm for the medium in Britain. He specialised in painted enamels after being inspired by lectures from the Sèvres craftsman Louis Dalpeyrat in the 1880s. Fisher went on to study in Paris, and on his return to London displayed his work through the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society.

In one of his frequent contributions to The Studio in 1903, Fisher commented that ‘All the bewildering surfaces, all the depths and loveliness that lie darkly in the waters of sea caves … the jewelled brilliance of sunshine on snow … indeed, the very embodiments in colour of the intensity of beauty – these are at hand for expression in enamel.’


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Tree of Life
Materials and techniques
Gold with silver and set with emeralds enclosing a transluscent enamel
Brief description
Morse, the 'Tree of Life' in a gold frame backed with silver and set with emeralds enclosing a transluscent enamel of The Crucifixion, designed by Alexander Fisher, made by Fisher and J Davis, London, about 1906.
Physical description
Morse, the 'Tree of Life' in a gold frame backed with silver and set with emeralds enclosing a transluscent enamel of The Crucifixion.
Dimensions
  • Height: 8.5cm
  • Width: 8.5cm
Style
Object history
Shown in London 1907, in Ghent 1913, and in Paris (Louvre) in 1914.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Alexander Fisher was an enamel specialist whose eloquent teaching and writing on the subject did much to revive enthusiasm for the medium in Britain. He specialised in painted enamels after being inspired by lectures from the Sèvres craftsman Louis Dalpeyrat in the 1880s. Fisher went on to study in Paris, and on his return to London displayed his work through the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society.

In one of his frequent contributions to The Studio in 1903, Fisher commented that ‘All the bewildering surfaces, all the depths and loveliness that lie darkly in the waters of sea caves … the jewelled brilliance of sunshine on snow … indeed, the very embodiments in colour of the intensity of beauty – these are at hand for expression in enamel.’
Collection
Accession number
M.39-1968

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJuly 27, 2006
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest