Jug
1882-1883 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This jug is part of a set with two beakers (see Museum nos. M.45A-1972 and M.45B-1972) . It was made by the large and prestigious manufacturers Elkington & Co., who had a factory in Birmingham and a shop in London’s Regent Street.
By the 1870s, exotic cultures, particularly Japan, had seized the public imagination and Elkington & Co. was one of the first manufacturers to produce silver in the Japanese taste. A key figure was the botanist Christopher Dresser (1834–1904), the first industrial designer. In 1876 he visited Japan as a representative of the British government to study Japanese design, and published an account of his travels. The simplicity of Japanese applied arts was much admired. Here the impact is created by the engraved and matted ornament rather than the restrained forms of the vessels.
By the 1870s, exotic cultures, particularly Japan, had seized the public imagination and Elkington & Co. was one of the first manufacturers to produce silver in the Japanese taste. A key figure was the botanist Christopher Dresser (1834–1904), the first industrial designer. In 1876 he visited Japan as a representative of the British government to study Japanese design, and published an account of his travels. The simplicity of Japanese applied arts was much admired. Here the impact is created by the engraved and matted ornament rather than the restrained forms of the vessels.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, parcel-gilt, raised and engraved; applied handle |
| Brief description | Jug, silver, parcel-gilt, Birmingham hallmarks for 1882-3, mark of Elkington and Co. |
| Physical description | Silver, parcel-gilt, the surface matted and engraved in the Japanese taste with prunus and other trees. At irregular intervals, shaped bamboo frames with gold borders enclose badges and other devices bordered with diaper patterns and with engraved foliage and blossom on which perch applied birds and butterflies in coloured golds.The stepped circular foot has engraved and applied bamboo ornament. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Formerly in the collection of Charles and Lavinia Handley-Read. |
| Object history | Bought from the Handley-Read Collection By the 1870s, exotic cultures, particularly Japan, had seized public imagination. A key figure was Christopher Dresser, who visited Japan in 1876 and published an account of his travels. The simplicity of Japanese applied arts was much admired. Elkingtons were one of the first manufacturers to produce silver in the Japanese taste. Here, the impact is created by the engraved and matted ornament, rather than the restrained forms of the vessels. |
| Summary | This jug is part of a set with two beakers (see Museum nos. M.45A-1972 and M.45B-1972) . It was made by the large and prestigious manufacturers Elkington & Co., who had a factory in Birmingham and a shop in London’s Regent Street. By the 1870s, exotic cultures, particularly Japan, had seized the public imagination and Elkington & Co. was one of the first manufacturers to produce silver in the Japanese taste. A key figure was the botanist Christopher Dresser (1834–1904), the first industrial designer. In 1876 he visited Japan as a representative of the British government to study Japanese design, and published an account of his travels. The simplicity of Japanese applied arts was much admired. Here the impact is created by the engraved and matted ornament rather than the restrained forms of the vessels. |
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| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.45-1972 |
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| Record created | March 3, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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