Embassy
Cutlery
1964-1965 (made), 1963 (designed)
1964-1965 (made), 1963 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In 1963, David Mellor was approached by the Ministry of Public Building and Works to design a complete new range of silver for use in British embassies. The idea originally came from Lord John Hope, who as Minister of Works in the Macmillan government, determined that in future British embassies should be built and furnished in an obviously modern style. He set up an advisory committee, which he chaired, and which included Lady Eccles, Lady Balfour, wife of a former ambassador to Madrid, and Paul Reilly, Director of the Council of Industrial Design.
The commission for Embassy glass went to Robert Goodden, Mellor's former RCA Professor, Professor Richard Guyatt was called in top provide the decoration for the Minton China plates. To complete the setting, David Mellor designed hand-forged sterling silver cutlery with stainless steel blades and a satin finish. The cutlery was intended to have a certain splendour but to avoid pomposity. The forks, unconventionally, have three prongs. The cutlery was produced in the Sheffield workshops of C.W. Fletcher & Sons Ltd. The hollowware and candlesticks in the workshop of David Mellor.
The commission for Embassy glass went to Robert Goodden, Mellor's former RCA Professor, Professor Richard Guyatt was called in top provide the decoration for the Minton China plates. To complete the setting, David Mellor designed hand-forged sterling silver cutlery with stainless steel blades and a satin finish. The cutlery was intended to have a certain splendour but to avoid pomposity. The forks, unconventionally, have three prongs. The cutlery was produced in the Sheffield workshops of C.W. Fletcher & Sons Ltd. The hollowware and candlesticks in the workshop of David Mellor.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 7 parts.
|
| Title | Embassy (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Silver and stainless steel |
| Brief description | Cutlery service, `Embassy', Silver and stainless steel, seven piece place setting, Sheffield, made by C.W. Fletcher a& Sons, designed by David Mellor, 1963. |
| Physical description | Silver and stainless steel, seven piece place setting, comprising of a table knife and fork, cheese knife and dessert fork, soup spoon, dessert spoon and teaspoon from the 'Embassy' range. Dinner knife, a straight, tapered silver handle, square in cross section, hallmarked 1965 stainless steel blade with a straight leading edge, rounded tip and V shaped cutting edge. Dessert / cheese knife, a smaller version, hallmarked 1965. The dinner fork, a tapered handle, straight, squared end, the bowl spreads from the shaft and is divided into three tines, hallmarked for 1964, the dessert fork, a smaller version, hallmarked for 1964. The soup spoon tapered handle, squared tip, similar to the forks, rounded hemi-spherical bowl, hallmarked for 1964, the dessert spoon, similar handle to the soup spoon, oval bowl, hallmarked for 1964. The tea spoon, a smaller version of the dessert spoon, hallmarked for 1965. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | small batch |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Gift of the Ministry of Public Works |
| Object history | Historical significance: Winner of Design Centre Award in 1965. Commissioned by the Ministry of Public Works, 1963, for use in British Embassies abroad |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | In 1963, David Mellor was approached by the Ministry of Public Building and Works to design a complete new range of silver for use in British embassies. The idea originally came from Lord John Hope, who as Minister of Works in the Macmillan government, determined that in future British embassies should be built and furnished in an obviously modern style. He set up an advisory committee, which he chaired, and which included Lady Eccles, Lady Balfour, wife of a former ambassador to Madrid, and Paul Reilly, Director of the Council of Industrial Design. The commission for Embassy glass went to Robert Goodden, Mellor's former RCA Professor, Professor Richard Guyatt was called in top provide the decoration for the Minton China plates. To complete the setting, David Mellor designed hand-forged sterling silver cutlery with stainless steel blades and a satin finish. The cutlery was intended to have a certain splendour but to avoid pomposity. The forks, unconventionally, have three prongs. The cutlery was produced in the Sheffield workshops of C.W. Fletcher & Sons Ltd. The hollowware and candlesticks in the workshop of David Mellor. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.676 to F-1965 |
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| Record created | May 10, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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