Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case M, Shelf 74

The Year of the Monkey

Design
c. 2004 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Susan Phillips McMeekin is a British designing goldsmith and a Freeman of the Goldsmiths Company, best known for designing high-end objects for Royalty and Heads of State during a career spanning some fifty years. Originally trained in jewellery design and silver smithing at the Royal College of Art, she has applied the techniques of jewellery design to a range of luxury objects, including clocks, gold boxes, pens, handbags, lamps, tableware and objets d'art. McMeekin has been self employed throughout her career, and has designed for McCabe McCarty (now David McCarty Ltd.) since 1977. Many of McMeekin's commissions come from clients in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. Her work is characterised by the use of gold and precious stones, Plique-à-jour enamel, and the inclusion of mechanised moving parts. She frequently includes imagery taken from the natural world and conducts extensive research into the flora and fauna of the local region before including it in her designs.

McMeekin makes extensive preparatory drawings before executing each piece. Her work includes private roughs, drawings communicating instructions to the craftsmen who execute her designs, and highly-finished gouache presentation drawings.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Year of the Monkey (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Pencil, biro and gouache on scrap paper
Brief description
Drawing by Susan Phillips McMeekin, rough design for the 'Year of the Monkey' clock, pencil, biro and gouache on scrap paper, Britain, c. 2004
Physical description
Working drawing for ‘The Year of the Monkey’ clock in pencil and biro on scrap paper. The clock consists of three monkeys sitting on a tree-stump which is set upon a base. Beneath the design is a grid drawn in pencil.
Dimensions
  • Height: 29.9cm (Note: approx)
  • Width: 20.7cm (Note: approx)
Marks and inscriptions
  • (Inscribed in pencil with numbers along the top and left edges)
  • '1' (Numbered in blue ink; top right)
  • 'here Round / Raise tree.' (Inscribed in blue ink; left of design)
  • 'No 1:- Three monkies [sic] sitting on tree-stump' (Inscribed in blue ink; below design)
Credit line
Given by Susan Phillips McMeekin
Production
The 'Year of the Monkey' clock was designed by Susan Phillips McMeekin for a Chinese client in Paris.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Susan Phillips McMeekin is a British designing goldsmith and a Freeman of the Goldsmiths Company, best known for designing high-end objects for Royalty and Heads of State during a career spanning some fifty years. Originally trained in jewellery design and silver smithing at the Royal College of Art, she has applied the techniques of jewellery design to a range of luxury objects, including clocks, gold boxes, pens, handbags, lamps, tableware and objets d'art. McMeekin has been self employed throughout her career, and has designed for McCabe McCarty (now David McCarty Ltd.) since 1977. Many of McMeekin's commissions come from clients in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. Her work is characterised by the use of gold and precious stones, Plique-à-jour enamel, and the inclusion of mechanised moving parts. She frequently includes imagery taken from the natural world and conducts extensive research into the flora and fauna of the local region before including it in her designs.

McMeekin makes extensive preparatory drawings before executing each piece. Her work includes private roughs, drawings communicating instructions to the craftsmen who execute her designs, and highly-finished gouache presentation drawings.
Collection
Accession number
E.218-2015

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Record createdJune 17, 2015
Record URL
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