Tray thumbnail 1
Tray thumbnail 2
+2
images
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Tray

1865 (made), 1847 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
Shaped trays were popular with the Victorians as they combined new designs with a practical function. This wine tray was designed to hold two decanters and glasses so that wine or sherry could be served more easily to groups of people.

People
Henry Cole (1808-1882) and his friend the artist Richard Redgrave (1804-1888) collaborated over several products for Summerley's Art Manufactures in 1847. They visited Jennens & Bettridge and another papier-mâché manufacturer, Frederick Walton of Wolverhampton, to discuss designs. Redgrave's design for tray, decanters and glasses was approved by Cole in September 1847 and John Bettridge, who had agreed to make the tray, produced the first example in January 1848. Cole bought this tray from Bettridge in 1865 for £3 4s (£3.20) for the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A).

Trading
Cole optimistically advertised this 'supper tray', as he called it, with decanters and glasses in October 1847, although the first example was not ready until January 1848. He continued to promote this new design by including it in an exhibition that he organised at the Royal Society of Arts, London, in 1848. Jennens & Bettridge showed the tray on their stand at the Exposition of Arts and Manufactures, Birmingham, in 1849, which was praised by Cole in the Journal of Design.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Papier-mâché, japanned and gilded, with appliqué of mother-of-pearl
Brief description
Wine tray, English, designed 1847 by Richard Redgrave and made 1865 by Jennens and Bettridge
Physical description
Wine tray made of japanned and gilded papier-mâché with appliqué of mother-of-pearl.
Dimensions
  • Height: 40cm
  • Width: 72.5cm
  • Depth: 4cm
Dimensions checked: Measured; 24/05/1999 by LH
Gallery label
(27/03/2003)
British Galleries:
WINE TRAY AND DECANTER

This tray was specifically described as being designed 'on the new principle of fixing decanters and preventing their shifting among the glasses'. The idea of a tray shaped for ease of handling may have been jointly conceived by Henry Cole and Richard Redgrave. The decoration of bunches of grapes on the decanter was deemed appropriate to its use as a container for sherry.
Object history
Designed by Richard Redgrave CB, RA (born in London, 1804, died there in 1888) for Felix Summerly's Art Manufactures; made by the firm of Jennens & Bettridge, Birmingham
Historical context
Other examples of the wine tray survive. One, of the same design, stamped by Jennens & Bettridge but with different floral decoration, was sold for £190 by Mallams Salerooms, Oxford, 25th July 2007.
Summary
Object Type
Shaped trays were popular with the Victorians as they combined new designs with a practical function. This wine tray was designed to hold two decanters and glasses so that wine or sherry could be served more easily to groups of people.

People
Henry Cole (1808-1882) and his friend the artist Richard Redgrave (1804-1888) collaborated over several products for Summerley's Art Manufactures in 1847. They visited Jennens & Bettridge and another papier-mâché manufacturer, Frederick Walton of Wolverhampton, to discuss designs. Redgrave's design for tray, decanters and glasses was approved by Cole in September 1847 and John Bettridge, who had agreed to make the tray, produced the first example in January 1848. Cole bought this tray from Bettridge in 1865 for £3 4s (£3.20) for the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A).

Trading
Cole optimistically advertised this 'supper tray', as he called it, with decanters and glasses in October 1847, although the first example was not ready until January 1848. He continued to promote this new design by including it in an exhibition that he organised at the Royal Society of Arts, London, in 1848. Jennens & Bettridge showed the tray on their stand at the Exposition of Arts and Manufactures, Birmingham, in 1849, which was praised by Cole in the Journal of Design.
Bibliographic reference
Jones, Yvonne, Japanned Papier-Mâché and Tinware c. 1740-1940. Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 2012 (ISBN 978 1 85149 686 0), p. 154, fig. 148
Collection
Accession number
132-1865

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest