Door Handle
1776-1780 (designed), ca. 1785 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This handle and escutcheon came originally from a door in Somerset House, London.
People
Sir William Chambers (1723-1796) taught architectural drawing to George III, when Prince of Wales. He became royal architect, Comptroller of His Majesty's Works, and later was made Surveyor-General. He was largely responsible for introducing the Chinoiserie style of decoration into England.
Materials & Design
The handle and escutcheon are made of cast brass, which has been chased and gilt. A coat of lacquer was then applied to improve its golden colour. Door furniture was considered to be an important element in the decoration of a room in the 18th century. Robert and James Adam illustrate what are described as 'Designs of Furniture for the locks of doors' in their Works in Architecture, and the owner of the Soho Manufactory in Birmingham, Matthew Boulton, is known to have supplied gilt-brass door furniture based on Adam designs. This handle and escutcheon were removed from Somerset House when the house was being altered in the mid-19th century.
This handle and escutcheon came originally from a door in Somerset House, London.
People
Sir William Chambers (1723-1796) taught architectural drawing to George III, when Prince of Wales. He became royal architect, Comptroller of His Majesty's Works, and later was made Surveyor-General. He was largely responsible for introducing the Chinoiserie style of decoration into England.
Materials & Design
The handle and escutcheon are made of cast brass, which has been chased and gilt. A coat of lacquer was then applied to improve its golden colour. Door furniture was considered to be an important element in the decoration of a room in the 18th century. Robert and James Adam illustrate what are described as 'Designs of Furniture for the locks of doors' in their Works in Architecture, and the owner of the Soho Manufactory in Birmingham, Matthew Boulton, is known to have supplied gilt-brass door furniture based on Adam designs. This handle and escutcheon were removed from Somerset House when the house was being altered in the mid-19th century.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Lacquered brass, cast and chased |
| Brief description | Gilt brass, designed by William Chambers for Somerset House, London. England, c. 1776-80. |
| Gallery label |
|
| Object history | Designed by William Chambers (born in Goteborg, Sweden, 1726, died in London, 1796) Made in London |
| Summary | Object Type This handle and escutcheon came originally from a door in Somerset House, London. People Sir William Chambers (1723-1796) taught architectural drawing to George III, when Prince of Wales. He became royal architect, Comptroller of His Majesty's Works, and later was made Surveyor-General. He was largely responsible for introducing the Chinoiserie style of decoration into England. Materials & Design The handle and escutcheon are made of cast brass, which has been chased and gilt. A coat of lacquer was then applied to improve its golden colour. Door furniture was considered to be an important element in the decoration of a room in the 18th century. Robert and James Adam illustrate what are described as 'Designs of Furniture for the locks of doors' in their Works in Architecture, and the owner of the Soho Manufactory in Birmingham, Matthew Boulton, is known to have supplied gilt-brass door furniture based on Adam designs. This handle and escutcheon were removed from Somerset House when the house was being altered in the mid-19th century. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 4013-1855 |
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
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
