Not currently on display at the V&A

The Wrestlers

Tray
ca. 1913 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Roger Fry set up the Omega Workshops in 1913 to produce a wide range of textiles, clothes, furniture and pottery. Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell were involved as co-directors of the Workshops and artists such as Wyndham Lewis, Edward Wadsworth, Nina Hamnett and the sculptor, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska also produced designs. Some pieces were made by the artists themselves. However, the designs were often given over to specialist craftsmen such as John Joseph Kallenborn, who was responsible for much of the marquetry work for the Omega Workshop. Here, French artist and sculptor, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska's (1891-1915) design, as executed by Kallenborn, shows the influence of Vorticism in its 'cubing' of the human form. He also used the 'Wrestlers' theme in a plaster relief and as a linocut.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Wrestlers (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Wood, with marquetry
Brief description
Circular tray, 'The wrestlers', Henri Gaudier-Brzeska for the Omega Workshops, wood with marquetry, ca. 1913
Physical description
A circular inlaid marquetry tray with an abstract depiction of two wrestlers.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 65cm
  • Diameter: 71.2cm (diameter including handles)
  • Height: 4.5cm (minimum height (is slightly warped so does not sit flat))
  • Height: 4.9cm (maximum height (is slightly warped so does not sit flat))
Style
Production typeUnique
Object history
The design for this inlaid tray was made by Gaudier-Brzeska for the Omega Workshops and is the only known tray of his to have survived. Before it entered the collection it was on show in the Omega Workshops exhibition held in the museum on 1963. It was bought from Anthony d'Offay Gallery in 1978.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Roger Fry set up the Omega Workshops in 1913 to produce a wide range of textiles, clothes, furniture and pottery. Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell were involved as co-directors of the Workshops and artists such as Wyndham Lewis, Edward Wadsworth, Nina Hamnett and the sculptor, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska also produced designs. Some pieces were made by the artists themselves. However, the designs were often given over to specialist craftsmen such as John Joseph Kallenborn, who was responsible for much of the marquetry work for the Omega Workshop. Here, French artist and sculptor, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska's (1891-1915) design, as executed by Kallenborn, shows the influence of Vorticism in its 'cubing' of the human form. He also used the 'Wrestlers' theme in a plaster relief and as a linocut.
Collection
Accession number
W.30-1978

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Record createdSeptember 25, 2000
Record URL
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