Server
1997 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Spiked forms, highly polished cones and knobs, and a preoccupation with the poise and balance have been the defining characteristics of Knight’s exploration of silver hollow-ware. For this server he has also explored the contrast between the polished blade and the matte handle. Knight sends a message in much of his works: Life is thorny but make the most of it. In this case the knobbed handle proves quite comfortable and firm to the grasp. The artist skillfully combines his message with function because he is interested in form and function above the decorative symbolism of association.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, pierced |
| Brief description | Silver, Sheffield hallmarks for 1997, mark of Chris Knight |
| Physical description | This is a trowel, with unusual blade shape and handle. The heavy asymmetric blade is bevelled on both edges and spreads to the left. It has a fuzzy ‘stainless steel pad’ swirled finish. Its is made from twelve-gauge sheet. The bold, strong, polished lift-piece comes forward on the top of the blade in a short rat-tail; it holds the cone-shaped handle firmly in an embracing ring-and-screw arrangement. The handle has a whitened finish and carries a series of short truncated spikes over its surface. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | This collection of silver slices, all commissioned over a period of twenty years by Professor Benton Seymour Rabinovitch FRS, is proof of the skill and diversity of contemporary silversmiths. Each artist craftsman has responded to the familiar functional form of the slice in an individual way, producing an astonishingly diverse range of interpretations. Each piece becomes an enchanting, decorative work of art. Professor Rabinovitch established a close rapport with each artist, always encouraging a freedom of creative expression. The response of these silversmiths has been not only to be strikingly imaginative but also to honour him by giving him their best work.
This collection is testimony to the significant contribution that one individual can make to supporting the craft of silversmithing. After commissioning work from some of the most illustrious names in British and North American silversmithing, Professor Rabinovitch has very generously donated his entire collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum, through the American Friends of the V&A.(2005) |
| Credit line | Given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of Professor B. Seymour Rabinovitch |
| Historical context | Part of a collection of fish slices commissioned by Professor Rabinovitch from contemporary North American and British makers. |
| Summary | Spiked forms, highly polished cones and knobs, and a preoccupation with the poise and balance have been the defining characteristics of Knight’s exploration of silver hollow-ware. For this server he has also explored the contrast between the polished blade and the matte handle. Knight sends a message in much of his works: Life is thorny but make the most of it. In this case the knobbed handle proves quite comfortable and firm to the grasp. The artist skillfully combines his message with function because he is interested in form and function above the decorative symbolism of association. |
| Bibliographic reference | Benton Seymour Rabinovitch and Helen Clifford, Contemporary Silver, commissioning designing collecting, London, Merrell, pp.62-63. ill. ISBN.1858941040 |
| Other number | LOAN:AMERICANFRIENDS.86-2005 - previous loan number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.59-2008 |
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| Record created | May 9, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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