untitled
Design
1923 (made)
1923 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This design for an opus sectile reredos was produced in 1923 by an unknown artist for the stained glass manufacturing company, James Powell & Sons Ltd. Later known as Whitefriars Glass, the company was at the forefront of domestic, architectural and stained glass production in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Opus sectile is an ancient Roman decorative technique that involves inlaying shaped pieces of stone or glass into a surface, in order to create a pattern or image. Unlike mosaics, the pieces used in opus sectile are much larger and are sometimes shaped to depict entire sections of the design. The technique was revived in the late nineteenth century by members of the Arts and Crafts movement and remained popular until the 1930s.
A reredos is a screen that stands behind the altar of a church and is often decorated with religious scenes and imagery. This reredos design depicts two angels, kneeling on either side of a gilt tabernacle on which stands a golden crucifix. The angels each swing a golden thurible or censer– a metal container suspended from a chain, in which incense is burnt during Christian ceremonies. The sides of a thurible are pierced with small holes from which the fragrant incense smoke can escape, as depicted in this design. The door of the tabernacle is decorated with a lamb standing with a pennant - a symbol known as the Agnus Dei which represents the Lamb of God. The inscription of the banner that runs across the top of the design reads ‘Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus’, meaning ‘Holy Holy Holy’. This refers to part of a hymn that is sung by the officiating priest during the consecration of bread and wine – a ceremony for which this reredos would have provided the backdrop.
The reredos in this design was intended for a side altar in St Clement’s Church, Dulwich, which was destroyed in a German bombing raid on London in 1940. This design therefore provides an important historical and visual record of the original interior decorative scheme. Thanks to an index compiled by Dr Dennis Hadley detailing the locations of Powell & Sons’ opus sectile work (utilising information extracted from the company’s order books, which are held in the V&A Archive of Art and Design) we know that the order for this reredos design was placed on the 26 August 1923, for the sum of 50 guineas – the equivalent of roughly £2600. It is likely that this highly finished piece was intended as a presentation drawing for the client’s approval.
Opus sectile is an ancient Roman decorative technique that involves inlaying shaped pieces of stone or glass into a surface, in order to create a pattern or image. Unlike mosaics, the pieces used in opus sectile are much larger and are sometimes shaped to depict entire sections of the design. The technique was revived in the late nineteenth century by members of the Arts and Crafts movement and remained popular until the 1930s.
A reredos is a screen that stands behind the altar of a church and is often decorated with religious scenes and imagery. This reredos design depicts two angels, kneeling on either side of a gilt tabernacle on which stands a golden crucifix. The angels each swing a golden thurible or censer– a metal container suspended from a chain, in which incense is burnt during Christian ceremonies. The sides of a thurible are pierced with small holes from which the fragrant incense smoke can escape, as depicted in this design. The door of the tabernacle is decorated with a lamb standing with a pennant - a symbol known as the Agnus Dei which represents the Lamb of God. The inscription of the banner that runs across the top of the design reads ‘Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus’, meaning ‘Holy Holy Holy’. This refers to part of a hymn that is sung by the officiating priest during the consecration of bread and wine – a ceremony for which this reredos would have provided the backdrop.
The reredos in this design was intended for a side altar in St Clement’s Church, Dulwich, which was destroyed in a German bombing raid on London in 1940. This design therefore provides an important historical and visual record of the original interior decorative scheme. Thanks to an index compiled by Dr Dennis Hadley detailing the locations of Powell & Sons’ opus sectile work (utilising information extracted from the company’s order books, which are held in the V&A Archive of Art and Design) we know that the order for this reredos design was placed on the 26 August 1923, for the sum of 50 guineas – the equivalent of roughly £2600. It is likely that this highly finished piece was intended as a presentation drawing for the client’s approval.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | untitled (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | watercolour, gold paint, pencil, paper |
| Brief description | Design by James Powell & Sons for an opus sectile reredos for St Clement's Church, Dulwich. 1923, watercolour and gold paint over pencil on paper |
| Physical description | Design for an opus sectile reredos depicting two censing angels kneeling on either side of a golden tabernacle, on which stands a gold crucifix with trefoil arms. The door of the tabernacle is decorated with a low-relief depiction of the Agnus Dei. The angel on the left has golden wings with detail picked out in red, while the angel on the right has golden wings with detail in blue. Each swings a gold censer or thurible, from which emanate trails of incense smoke. Each angel kneels on a thin gold section, with wavy lines drawn in blue. A variegated green border, rendered to suggest Connemara marble, runs along the left, top and right edges of the image. Under this runs a scrolling banner in three sections, with SANCTUS written on each third. Two thin columns run from the underside of the banner to the surface of the tabernacle. They are outlined in gold and contain a vertical diamond pattern in blue. There is a small shield at either end of the banner, the left of which is emblazoned with a solid red St George’s cross. The right shield is emblazoned with another red cross, which is composed of lozenge shaped brush marks with spaces in between. Watercolour and gold paint over pencil, on paper. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given in memory of Mr Andre Davies |
| Object history | This design was given to the Museum in memory of Mr Andre Davies, who worked at the V&A from 1984 to 2005, first in Publications and then as part of the Works Department. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This design for an opus sectile reredos was produced in 1923 by an unknown artist for the stained glass manufacturing company, James Powell & Sons Ltd. Later known as Whitefriars Glass, the company was at the forefront of domestic, architectural and stained glass production in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Opus sectile is an ancient Roman decorative technique that involves inlaying shaped pieces of stone or glass into a surface, in order to create a pattern or image. Unlike mosaics, the pieces used in opus sectile are much larger and are sometimes shaped to depict entire sections of the design. The technique was revived in the late nineteenth century by members of the Arts and Crafts movement and remained popular until the 1930s. A reredos is a screen that stands behind the altar of a church and is often decorated with religious scenes and imagery. This reredos design depicts two angels, kneeling on either side of a gilt tabernacle on which stands a golden crucifix. The angels each swing a golden thurible or censer– a metal container suspended from a chain, in which incense is burnt during Christian ceremonies. The sides of a thurible are pierced with small holes from which the fragrant incense smoke can escape, as depicted in this design. The door of the tabernacle is decorated with a lamb standing with a pennant - a symbol known as the Agnus Dei which represents the Lamb of God. The inscription of the banner that runs across the top of the design reads ‘Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus’, meaning ‘Holy Holy Holy’. This refers to part of a hymn that is sung by the officiating priest during the consecration of bread and wine – a ceremony for which this reredos would have provided the backdrop. The reredos in this design was intended for a side altar in St Clement’s Church, Dulwich, which was destroyed in a German bombing raid on London in 1940. This design therefore provides an important historical and visual record of the original interior decorative scheme. Thanks to an index compiled by Dr Dennis Hadley detailing the locations of Powell & Sons’ opus sectile work (utilising information extracted from the company’s order books, which are held in the V&A Archive of Art and Design) we know that the order for this reredos design was placed on the 26 August 1923, for the sum of 50 guineas – the equivalent of roughly £2600. It is likely that this highly finished piece was intended as a presentation drawing for the client’s approval. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.436-2017 |
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| Record created | June 1, 2017 |
| Record URL |
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