Jug
1978 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This jug was the first V&A commission by Sir Roy Strong, who revived the practice of director's commissions initiated by Sir Henry Cole.
Gerald Benney CBE, RDI (1930-2008) was amongst the first students to benefit from Robert Goodden's teaching at the RCA. He established himself as one of the major silversmiths operating in Britain in the latter half of the 20th century. He held four Royal Warrants and executed many commissions for corporate and private clients world-wide.
Gerald Benney CBE, RDI (1930-2008) was amongst the first students to benefit from Robert Goodden's teaching at the RCA. He established himself as one of the major silversmiths operating in Britain in the latter half of the 20th century. He held four Royal Warrants and executed many commissions for corporate and private clients world-wide.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, gilt interior, black enamel, carved ivory handle |
| Brief description | Silver, enamel and carved ivory, London hallmarks for 1978, mark of Gerald Benney |
| Physical description | Broad pear shaped body of silver, entirely covered in black enamel except for the lip, the foot and the collar. The handle carved from a cross section of ivory tusk with an incised double line in the centre and set into the body of the jug with two silver collars. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Unique |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | This jug was the first V&A commission by Sir Roy Strong, who revived the practice of director's commissions initiated by Sir Henry Cole. Gerald Benney was amongst the first students to benefit from Robert Goodden's teaching at the RCA. He then established himself as one of the major silversmiths operating in Britain in the second half of the 20th century. He held four Royal Warrants and executed many commissions for corporate and private clients world-wide. According to Professor Benney, the body of the jug represented the largest area of silver that had ever been enamelled in his workshop and he therefore consulted with chemists Blythe Colours Ltd, Cresswell, Stoke on Trent, a subsidiary, Johnson Matthey, who produced a black lead enamel with a low melting temperature of 760 degrees centigrade for the purpose. At the first attempt, the enamel cracked, at the second it adhered but the craftsman accidentally dropped the jug. The third attempt was successful. |
| Summary | This jug was the first V&A commission by Sir Roy Strong, who revived the practice of director's commissions initiated by Sir Henry Cole. Gerald Benney CBE, RDI (1930-2008) was amongst the first students to benefit from Robert Goodden's teaching at the RCA. He established himself as one of the major silversmiths operating in Britain in the latter half of the 20th century. He held four Royal Warrants and executed many commissions for corporate and private clients world-wide. |
| Bibliographic reference | Turner, Eric, An Introductiopn to English Silver from 1660, London, HMSO, 1985. p.44. ill. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.166-1978 |
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| Record created | March 3, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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