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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case M, Shelf 74

Design

ca. 2014 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Susan Phillips McMeekin is a British designing goldsmith and a Freeman of the Goldsmiths Company, best known for designing high-end objects for Royalty and Heads of State during a career spanning some fifty years. Originally trained in jewellery design and silver smithing at the Royal College of Art, she has applied the techniques of jewellery design to a range of luxury objects, including clocks, gold boxes, pens, handbags, lamps, tableware and objets d'art. McMeekin has been self employed throughout her career, and has designed for McCabe McCarty (now David McCarty Ltd.) since 1977. Many of McMeekin's commissions come from clients in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. Her work is characterised by the use of gold and precious stones, Plique-à-jour enamel, and the inclusion of mechanised moving parts. She frequently includes imagery taken from the natural world and conducts extensive research into the flora and fauna of the local region before including it in her designs.

McMeekin makes extensive preparatory drawings before executing each piece. Her work includes private roughs, drawings communicating instructions to the craftsmen who execute her designs, and highly-finished gouache presentation drawings. This sheet of rough designs for pillboxes was designed for a client in Oman. They were designed to be made in 18 carat gold with diamonds, coloured stones and enamel.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pencil and gouache on paper
Brief description
Design by Susan Phillips McMeekin, rough designs for gold and enamel pill boxes for a client in Oman, pencil and gouache on paper, Britain, c. 2014
Physical description
Five rough designs for pillboxes in pencil and gouache. The designs are labelled ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ ‘D’ and ‘E’ and are annotated in pencil. Designs ‘A’ and ‘B’ are shown in profile near the top of the page. The edge of ‘A’ is decorated with pink and green stones whilst the edge of ‘B’ is decorated with medicinal plants and herbs. Design ‘C’ is a flower shaped pillbox shown in profile and from above. Each of the petals of the flower are decorated with different coloured enamel, and the edge of each petal is encrusted with diamonds. The national emblem of Oman, an insignia consisting of a khanjar dagger inside its sheath that is superimposed upon two crossed swords, appears in the centre of the petals. Design ‘D’ is a circular pillbox decorated around the edge with different coloured enamelled panels interspersed with diamonds or precious stones. The top of the box is decorated with the national emblem of Oman.
Dimensions
  • Height: 27.4cm
  • Width: 20.6cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Opening here' (Inscribed in pencil to the right of pillbox 'A' with arrow pointing to pillbox)
  • 'Enamel: / Painted Garlic etc on / each opening' (Inscribed in pencil below pillbox 'B' with arrow pointing to pillbox)
  • 'Push the / centre / section to / open lower pill boxes.' (Inscribed in pencil to the right of pillbox 'E' with arrow pointing to pillbox)
  • 'Enamel' (Inscribed in pencil to the right of pillbox 'D')
  • 'MOFP' (Inscribed in pencil to the left of pillbox 'D' with arrow pointing to centre section of pillbox)
Credit line
Given by Susan Phillips McMeekin
Subjects depicted
Summary
Susan Phillips McMeekin is a British designing goldsmith and a Freeman of the Goldsmiths Company, best known for designing high-end objects for Royalty and Heads of State during a career spanning some fifty years. Originally trained in jewellery design and silver smithing at the Royal College of Art, she has applied the techniques of jewellery design to a range of luxury objects, including clocks, gold boxes, pens, handbags, lamps, tableware and objets d'art. McMeekin has been self employed throughout her career, and has designed for McCabe McCarty (now David McCarty Ltd.) since 1977. Many of McMeekin's commissions come from clients in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. Her work is characterised by the use of gold and precious stones, Plique-à-jour enamel, and the inclusion of mechanised moving parts. She frequently includes imagery taken from the natural world and conducts extensive research into the flora and fauna of the local region before including it in her designs.

McMeekin makes extensive preparatory drawings before executing each piece. Her work includes private roughs, drawings communicating instructions to the craftsmen who execute her designs, and highly-finished gouache presentation drawings. This sheet of rough designs for pillboxes was designed for a client in Oman. They were designed to be made in 18 carat gold with diamonds, coloured stones and enamel.
Collection
Accession number
E.208-2015

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Record createdJune 17, 2015
Record URL
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