Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Silver, Room 67, The Whiteley Galleries

Sarepta

Teaspoon
1903-1904 (made), 1899 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This teaspoon is part of the Cymric range of original silver and jewellery sponsored by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1898. He was the owner of Liberty & Co, the London department store, where the range was shown first in spring 1899.

The Cymric mark registered at the Goldsmiths’ Company was entered in Liberty’s name. However, the majority of the silver and jewellery was made by W. H. Haseler of Birmingham, who became a joint partner in the project. Designs for the range were supplied by the Silver Studio, established in 1880. Archibald Knox (1864-1933), who designed this spoon, was one of the most gifted designers employed by the English design studio. He supplied the majority of Liberty metalwork designs between 1899 and 1912.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSarepta (series title)
Materials and techniques
Silver, with enamel
Brief description
Silver and enamel, Birmingham hallmarks for 1903-4, mark of Liberty & Co.
Physical description
One of set of six, each spoon has a plain, oval bowl; the stem is decorated with two pairs of stylised leaves on curving stalks against reserved areas of green, orange and blue enamel. Each handle ends in a pointed, stylised plant form.
Dimensions
  • Length: 11.2cm
  • Width: 2cm
Style
Production typesmall batch
Marks and inscriptions
  • Birmingham hallmarks for 1903-4 (Spoons back: maker L & Co. for Liberty & Co., anchor, sterling, date letter d (1903-4). CYMRIC on 321e.)
  • Mark of Liberty & Co.
  • CYMRIC
Object history
Acquisition RF: 76 / 369
Purchase - £160
Liberty & Co. Ltd., Regent Street, W1
Set of six in a box. Designed in 1899 by either Rex Silver or Oliver Baker. Liberty's usually suppressed the individual identity of their designers in order to promote the brand image of the firm. The only exception to this practice was when they contributed to the exhibitions organised by the Arts and Crafts Society where the rules explicitly required the designers and craftsmen to be identified.

Neg._No: BW 40497
BW 40500
Summary
This teaspoon is part of the Cymric range of original silver and jewellery sponsored by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1898. He was the owner of Liberty & Co, the London department store, where the range was shown first in spring 1899.

The Cymric mark registered at the Goldsmiths’ Company was entered in Liberty’s name. However, the majority of the silver and jewellery was made by W. H. Haseler of Birmingham, who became a joint partner in the project. Designs for the range were supplied by the Silver Studio, established in 1880. Archibald Knox (1864-1933), who designed this spoon, was one of the most gifted designers employed by the English design studio. He supplied the majority of Liberty metalwork designs between 1899 and 1912.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.321E-1976

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Record createdMarch 9, 2004
Record URL
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