Casket
ca. 1895 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This crudely made casket in beaten brass with opalescent glass inserts was designed and made by Charles Rennie Mackintosh as a jewel casket for his first fiancée, Jessie Keppie. Inside is a brass mounted tray, lined with velvet and another wooden tray beneath it. On the underside of the lid, a panel bears the name of Jessie Keppie.
People
Jessie Keppie was the sister of John Keppie, a junior partner in the architectural firm of Honeyman and Keppie which employed Mackintosh and Herbert MacNair. Jessie Keppie was briefly engaged to Mackintosh but he broke off the engagement to pursue and eventually marry, Margaret Macdonald, leaving Jessie Keppie heartbroken. She was to remain a spinster for the rest of her life.
Design & Designing
The association of Mackintosh, MacNair and the two Macdonald sisters, Margaret and Frances became known as The Four. At the Arts and Crafts Exhibition held in London in 1896, their work attracted much hostile criticism but caught the attention of Gleeson White, the editor of The Studio who wrote two long articles about their work. In the first of these articles, published in 1897, this jewel casket was mentioned.
This crudely made casket in beaten brass with opalescent glass inserts was designed and made by Charles Rennie Mackintosh as a jewel casket for his first fiancée, Jessie Keppie. Inside is a brass mounted tray, lined with velvet and another wooden tray beneath it. On the underside of the lid, a panel bears the name of Jessie Keppie.
People
Jessie Keppie was the sister of John Keppie, a junior partner in the architectural firm of Honeyman and Keppie which employed Mackintosh and Herbert MacNair. Jessie Keppie was briefly engaged to Mackintosh but he broke off the engagement to pursue and eventually marry, Margaret Macdonald, leaving Jessie Keppie heartbroken. She was to remain a spinster for the rest of her life.
Design & Designing
The association of Mackintosh, MacNair and the two Macdonald sisters, Margaret and Frances became known as The Four. At the Arts and Crafts Exhibition held in London in 1896, their work attracted much hostile criticism but caught the attention of Gleeson White, the editor of The Studio who wrote two long articles about their work. In the first of these articles, published in 1897, this jewel casket was mentioned.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Repoussé brass, mounted on wood, with glass inserts |
| Brief description | Brass casket designed and made by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Jessie Keppie, Glasgow, about 1893 |
| Physical description | Casket of beaten brass with two opalescent glass inserts, mounted on wood. Inside is a brass mounted tray, lined with velvet and another wooden tray beneath. On the underside of the lid, a panel bearing the name of Jessie Keppie. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Jessie Keppel (On a brass repoussé panel, fixed to the underside of the lid.) |
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
Repoussé metal objects, like this casket, were typical of work produced in Scotland but it is rare to find one made by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. He made it for his first fiancée Jessie Keppie, one of the group of artists called 'The Immortals'. A repoussé plaque inside the lid bears her name.(27/03/2003) |
| Object history | Designed and made in Glasgow by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (born in Glasgow, 1868, died in London, 1928) |
| Historical context | A romance developed between Mackintosh and Jessie, the sister of his employer John Keppie. It is not known whether they were engaged or simply had an understanding. However, Mackintosh broke off the connection and married Jessie's best friend Margaret Macdonald instead. Jessie never married. She was a talented artist in her own right, winning a silver medal for her design for a Persian carpet in 1888 in national competitions in South Kensington. She maintained an active career in the arts. |
| Summary | Object Type This crudely made casket in beaten brass with opalescent glass inserts was designed and made by Charles Rennie Mackintosh as a jewel casket for his first fiancée, Jessie Keppie. Inside is a brass mounted tray, lined with velvet and another wooden tray beneath it. On the underside of the lid, a panel bears the name of Jessie Keppie. People Jessie Keppie was the sister of John Keppie, a junior partner in the architectural firm of Honeyman and Keppie which employed Mackintosh and Herbert MacNair. Jessie Keppie was briefly engaged to Mackintosh but he broke off the engagement to pursue and eventually marry, Margaret Macdonald, leaving Jessie Keppie heartbroken. She was to remain a spinster for the rest of her life. Design & Designing The association of Mackintosh, MacNair and the two Macdonald sisters, Margaret and Frances became known as The Four. At the Arts and Crafts Exhibition held in London in 1896, their work attracted much hostile criticism but caught the attention of Gleeson White, the editor of The Studio who wrote two long articles about their work. In the first of these articles, published in 1897, this jewel casket was mentioned. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.111:1 to 3-1962 |
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| Record created | September 3, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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