Ladle thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 125, Edwin and Susan Davies Gallery

Ladle

1880 (designed), ca.1880 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
This ladle breaks with tradition by replacing the graceful curve generally used for ladles, with a stricter, broken form, which requires only the slightest turn of the hand for serving.

Design & Designing
Dresser realised that the use of thin-gauge metal made the object inherently weak and therefore subject to distortion. His solution was to add reinforcing ridges and an internal lip, which gave the bowl extra rigidity.Therefore the articulations used in this design had a functional as well as aesthetic purpose. Other versions of this design were made with ivory handles.

People
Unlike his contemporaries whom he saw as indulging in pictorialism and historicism for the sake of their superficial romantic associations, Dresser attempted to investigate the formal properties of the objects he admired. He developed fresh designs following on from his own instinct for natural functional forms, which he believed to be appropriate to contemporary requirements.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Electroplate, with an ebony handle
Brief description
Ladle, electroplate with ebony handle, Birmingham ca.1880, made by Hukin & Heath, designed by Christopher Dresser.
Physical description
Electroplate ladle with hemispherical bowl and handle with angular bend.
Dimensions
  • Length: 35cm
  • Bowl diameter: 8.2cm
  • Depth: 7cm
Dimensions checked: measured; 04/01/1999 by sf
Marks and inscriptions
Marks: 'Designed by Dr. C. Dresser'; 'H & H', 2123 (registration mark for 28 July 1880)
Gallery label
British Galleries: Dresser's designs are often startlingly modern, but they also consider the function of the object. For this ladle, he has replaced a traditional curved handle with an angled one, which needs only the slightest turn for serving. The ridge of the bowl may have been used to add strength to the thin metal.(27/03/2003)
Credit line
From the Handley Read Collection
Object history
Designed by Christopher Dresser (born in Glasgow, 1834, died in Mulhouse, France, 1904); manufactured by Hukin & Heath, Birmingham
Summary
Object Type
This ladle breaks with tradition by replacing the graceful curve generally used for ladles, with a stricter, broken form, which requires only the slightest turn of the hand for serving.

Design & Designing
Dresser realised that the use of thin-gauge metal made the object inherently weak and therefore subject to distortion. His solution was to add reinforcing ridges and an internal lip, which gave the bowl extra rigidity.Therefore the articulations used in this design had a functional as well as aesthetic purpose. Other versions of this design were made with ivory handles.

People
Unlike his contemporaries whom he saw as indulging in pictorialism and historicism for the sake of their superficial romantic associations, Dresser attempted to investigate the formal properties of the objects he admired. He developed fresh designs following on from his own instinct for natural functional forms, which he believed to be appropriate to contemporary requirements.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
M.26B-1972

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Record createdJanuary 25, 2000
Record URL
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