Not currently on display at the V&A

Mahogany

Place Setting
2011 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Studio William Welch describes how 'Mahogany' cutlery has been designed to highlight the functional area of a utilitarian object by making a feature of the manufacturing processes that go into making cutlery. The edges of the handles are finished with an edge to ensure a delicate ergonomic feeling to the hand, whilst the varying thickness gauges in the handles have been engineered for refined weight and balance.

William Welch (born 1972) is an English industrial designer. He is the son of the late post-war industrial designer Robert Welch (21 May 1929-15 March 2000). Welch studied design at the University of Central England (now Birmingham City University) where he completed courses in Furniture Design and Silversmithing. From 1995-1997 Welch worked for Pentagram Design London as a junior designer under practice partner Kenneth Grange, and later worked in the same design consultancy for Daniel Wiel (1997–1999). He then completed a Master of Arts Degree at the Royal College of Art, London in 2001. As part of a research and development project he created cutlery for people with physical disabilities called "Adaptable Cutlery", which changed shape to accommodate the user’s physical abilities. This gained the graduating year’s top Helen Hamlyn Award for Design in 2001. The Adaptable Cutlery was also a category award winner for the Peugeot/Oxo Design Awards in 2002 and was crowned overall winner of all ten design categories. Following the death of his father, William was appointed Company Director at Robert Welch Designs Ltd in 2001. William worked alongside his brother Rupert until 2005 when he broke away from the company and launched Studio William Cutlery in 2005.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 7 parts.

  • Table Knife
  • Table Fork
  • Soup Spoon
  • Side Knife
  • Side Fork
  • Dessert Spoon
  • Teaspoon
TitleMahogany (trade title)
Materials and techniques
Stainless steel 18/10, forged and polished to a mirror finish
Brief description
Place setting, "Mahogany", stainless steel, designed by William Welch, 2011
Physical description
Seven piece cutlery place setting formed of table knife, table fork, soup spoon, side knife, side fork, dessert spoon and teaspoon. Made of stainless steel.
Dimensions
  • Table knife length: 24.5cm (Note: M.36:1-2013)
  • Table knife thickness: 0.85cm (Note: M.36:1-2013)
  • Table knife weight: 115g (Note: M.36:1-2013)
  • Table fork length: 21cm (Note: M.36:2-2013)
  • Table fork thickness: 0.45cm (Note: M.36:2-2013)
  • Table fork weight: 90g (Note: M.36:2-2013)
  • Soup spoon length: 21cm (Note: M.36:3-2013)
  • Soup spoon thickness: 0.45cm (Note: M.36:3-2013)
  • Soup spoon weight: 85g (Note: M.36:3-2013)
  • Side knife length: 21.2cm (Note: M.36:4-2013)
  • Side knife thickness: 0.76 (Note: M.36:4-2013)
  • Side knife weight: 85g (Note: M.36:4-2013)
  • Side fork length: 18.8cm (Note: M.36:5-2013)
  • Side fork thickness: 0.4cm (Note: M.36:5-2013)
  • Side fork weight: 55g (Note: M.36:5-2013)
  • Dessert spoon length: 18.8cm (Note: M.36:6-2013)
  • Dessert spoon thickness: 0.4cm (Note: M.36:6-2013)
  • Dessert spoon weight: 70g (Note: M.36:6-2013)
  • Teaspoon length: 13.2cm (Note: M.36:7-2013)
  • Teaspoon thickness: 0.35cm (Note: M.36:7-2013)
  • Teaspoon weight: 30g (Note: M.36:7-2013)
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by Studio William Welch Ltd
Summary
Studio William Welch describes how 'Mahogany' cutlery has been designed to highlight the functional area of a utilitarian object by making a feature of the manufacturing processes that go into making cutlery. The edges of the handles are finished with an edge to ensure a delicate ergonomic feeling to the hand, whilst the varying thickness gauges in the handles have been engineered for refined weight and balance.

William Welch (born 1972) is an English industrial designer. He is the son of the late post-war industrial designer Robert Welch (21 May 1929-15 March 2000). Welch studied design at the University of Central England (now Birmingham City University) where he completed courses in Furniture Design and Silversmithing. From 1995-1997 Welch worked for Pentagram Design London as a junior designer under practice partner Kenneth Grange, and later worked in the same design consultancy for Daniel Wiel (1997–1999). He then completed a Master of Arts Degree at the Royal College of Art, London in 2001. As part of a research and development project he created cutlery for people with physical disabilities called "Adaptable Cutlery", which changed shape to accommodate the user’s physical abilities. This gained the graduating year’s top Helen Hamlyn Award for Design in 2001. The Adaptable Cutlery was also a category award winner for the Peugeot/Oxo Design Awards in 2002 and was crowned overall winner of all ten design categories. Following the death of his father, William was appointed Company Director at Robert Welch Designs Ltd in 2001. William worked alongside his brother Rupert until 2005 when he broke away from the company and launched Studio William Cutlery in 2005.
Collection
Accession number
M.36:1 to 7-2013

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Record createdNovember 8, 2013
Record URL
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