Leather panel, from the Magpie and Stump, designed by Charles Robert Ashbee, made by Bill Hardiman, Essex House (Mile End), 1893-1894

As it is not clear yet whether the panel was originally intended to be placed vertically or horizontally, this description is based on a vertical arrangement, with the base of the main stem in the bottom left hand corner. This main stem divides into several smaller stems, some coiling back around the main stem, and one supporting the large flower head, a briar rose. The briar rose has a circular centre with six lobe-like petals which extend over an outer ring of twisted bands with small leaves at intervals. One of the two stems to the right of the briar rose stem passes behind the briar rose head and divides into leafy sprays on the left and right of the flower head. The other stem, with broken branches, curves up the right hand side of the panel, around the head of the briar rose and passes behind a smaller flower head on the left. This flower head is on a separate stem, with a leafy spray, which curves up from the base of the main stem.

Given by Messrs Wates Ltd

This is part of a set of leather panels, made by Bill Hardiman of the Guild of Handicraft for the staircase hall of the Magpie and Stump. C.R. Ashbee, who founded the Guild, designed and built this house on Chelsea Embankment for himself, his mother and sisters, in 1893-4. The panels were stitched together to cover the back wall of the hall, against which the first flight of the staircase was placed, and the complete design shows magpies with foliage and flower heads.

In 1966 the Museum was given the opportunity to remove the leather panels from the house before it was demolished.

This leather panel is part of a set originally designed and made as wall coverings for the staircase hall in the Magpie and Stump. When put together the panels show a design of magpies with foliage, echoing the name of the house. The architect and designer, C.R. Ashbee designed and built this house on Chelsea Embankment in 1893-4 for himself, his mother and his sisters. The leather was modelled by Bill Hardiman, a member of the Guild of Handicraft, founded in Mile End, London by Ashbee in 1888. Members of the Guild lived and worked together on metalwork, jewellery, furniture and books. Hardiman, who joined the Guild in 1890 and left in 1906, became the chief modeller for metalwork but also worked on leather panels for upholstery and for wall coverings.

W.13-2008