Place of Origin

Great Britain (made)

Date

1852 (made)

Artist/maker

Elkington & Co. (maker)

Materials and Techniques

Electroplate, coated with oxydised silver and parcel gilt

Marks and inscriptions

1292 base: Publ. by Elkington Mason and Co. / Octr. 1852
1292a base: Published by Elkington & Co. 978
stamped on 1292a base: 978

Foliate scroll and strap work decoration, cartouches containing allegorical representations of 3 season on 3/4 of the globe, terminal femal figure on handle
-adapted from design by Francois Briot

Dimensions

Diameter: 12.0 cm, Height: 29.5 cm, Length: 16.0 cm

Object history note

Bought from Elkington and Co for £9, 9s in 1854
Register says: English: Modern.
The body of this ewer is electrofromed from moulds designed by Benjamin Schlick of Elkingotn and Company of Birmingham. Schlick based his moulds on a ewer of around 1590 by the French medallist and die-cutter, Francois Briot (around 1550-1616). The Danish designer, Benjamin Schlick, supplied Elkingtons with moulds of classical and Renaissance antiquities and would frequently creating new versions to 'improve' them. The stem of this ewer is longer than Briot's original, and the handle straighter while the strapwork and scenes differeslightly. Elkingtons have partly oxidized the surface to give the ewer a grey texture contrasting with the gilding. While critic R.W. Wornum felt oxidation provided a welcome relief from the 'pure flashiness' of white silver, J.B. Waring asked, 'why make use of an expensive metal, to which you give the appearance of a common one?'

Categories

Metalwork

Collection

Metalwork Collection