Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Metalware, Room 116, The Belinda Gentle Gallery

Door Furniture

ca. 1775 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This door furniture is based on designs by one of Britain's greatest 18th-century architects, Robert Adam and was probably made by an important Midlands locksmith, Thomas Blockley.

The design of this door furniture relates closely to patterns published by Robert Adam in his Works in Architecture between 1773 and 1789. It demonstrates Adam's professed aim for "light mouldings, gracefully formed". Adam created many variations on the basic design of a central handle with pendant swags or scrolling foliage flanked by pendant swags.

This pattern was created to operate and decorate a mortise lock whose mechanism was built into the fabric of the door. Mortise locks were introduced in the second quarter of the 18th century and represented an improvement in security as they removed the need for cumbersome and removable lockplates. Locks at the end of the 17th century were often individually designed without reference to an overall decorative scheme, and were treated as transportable property. By the mid 18th century it was much more common for door furniture to be integrated with an interior design with ornament matching overmantels and cabinets. The innovative designs of Adam's mortise locks reflect the minute detail and attention he applied to his interior schemes. The urn shaped escutcheon swivels to reveal a key hole plate while one of the rams' heads turns to act as a secondary bolt. The other is a dummy to balance the design.

It is difficult to ascribe a maker to the door furniture but this set is possibly the work of the Birmingham maker, Thomas Blockley (1708-88) of 61 Bull Street, Birmingham. Blockley was employed regularly by Robert Adam: his name appears consistently in Adam's bank account at Drummond's Bank. Blockley provided gilt iron and brass fixtures and fittings for many of the great houses designed or remodelled by Adam - Croome Court, Harewood (with his son, also Thomas), Shardeloes and Stoneleigh Abbey to name a few. Blockley also worked for other important architects including James Gibbs and James Paine and equipped the homes of minor gentry, churches and public buildings. Blockley was also a supplier for other well-known manufacturers including Matthew Boulton, Edward Gascoigne and William Bent. At Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn's house at 20 St James' Square Blockley supplied Gascoigne with cabinet locks which Gascoigne altered.

This set is reputed to come from Nostell Priory in Yorkshire. Adam wrote in 1767 that he had created locks for Nostell 'after a new pattern' but the accounts record their supply by William Bent. Many variations must have been made on this form: similar door furniture can also be found at Saltram House and Home House. Almost identical sets were made for the library at Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire, these consisting of extra swags and pendants.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Door Furniture
  • Lock
Materials and techniques
Cast and gilt brass with pin attachments
Brief description
Door furniture, gilt-brass, England, ca. 1775
Physical description
A cast and gilt brass door handle, the central knob on a waisted shaft with a circular backplate. A pendant husk garland joins it to two rams' heads medallions, each with ribbon ties above. Each ram's head has its own pendant husk to each side with a stylised floral pendant below. A centrally placed escutcheon in the shape of an urn has a pivoting cover.
Dimensions
  • Height: 14.7cm
  • Width: 21.0cm
Marks and inscriptions
Unmarked
Gallery label
  • BADA 2004 Exhibition label: DOOR FURNITURE Gilt-brass, England, around 1775 This fine set of door furniture is a recent addition to the V&A collections. It is based on designs by one of Britain's greatest 18th-century architects, Robert Adam (1728-92), and was probably made by an important Midlands locksmith, Thomas Blockley (1705-89). The design reflects Adam's professed aim for "light mouldings, gracefully formed". The urn-shaped escutcheon swivels to reveal a key hole plate, while one of the rams' heads turns to act as a secondary bolt. The other is a dummy to balance the design. M.3-2004(March 2004)
  • Belinda Gentle Metalware Gallery (Gallery 116) from November 2004 DOOR FURNITURE Brass, cast and gilt England; about 1775 This door furniture is based on designs by the architect Robert Adam (1728–92). It was probably made by the important Midlands locksmith, Thomas Blockley (1705–89). The design reflects Adam’s professed aim for ‘light mouldings, gracefully formed’. The mechanism is designed for a mortise lock built into a door. Mortise locks were both permanent fixtures, and, under Adam’s control, integral to an overall design scheme. Museum no. M.3–2004
Summary
This door furniture is based on designs by one of Britain's greatest 18th-century architects, Robert Adam and was probably made by an important Midlands locksmith, Thomas Blockley.

The design of this door furniture relates closely to patterns published by Robert Adam in his Works in Architecture between 1773 and 1789. It demonstrates Adam's professed aim for "light mouldings, gracefully formed". Adam created many variations on the basic design of a central handle with pendant swags or scrolling foliage flanked by pendant swags.

This pattern was created to operate and decorate a mortise lock whose mechanism was built into the fabric of the door. Mortise locks were introduced in the second quarter of the 18th century and represented an improvement in security as they removed the need for cumbersome and removable lockplates. Locks at the end of the 17th century were often individually designed without reference to an overall decorative scheme, and were treated as transportable property. By the mid 18th century it was much more common for door furniture to be integrated with an interior design with ornament matching overmantels and cabinets. The innovative designs of Adam's mortise locks reflect the minute detail and attention he applied to his interior schemes. The urn shaped escutcheon swivels to reveal a key hole plate while one of the rams' heads turns to act as a secondary bolt. The other is a dummy to balance the design.

It is difficult to ascribe a maker to the door furniture but this set is possibly the work of the Birmingham maker, Thomas Blockley (1708-88) of 61 Bull Street, Birmingham. Blockley was employed regularly by Robert Adam: his name appears consistently in Adam's bank account at Drummond's Bank. Blockley provided gilt iron and brass fixtures and fittings for many of the great houses designed or remodelled by Adam - Croome Court, Harewood (with his son, also Thomas), Shardeloes and Stoneleigh Abbey to name a few. Blockley also worked for other important architects including James Gibbs and James Paine and equipped the homes of minor gentry, churches and public buildings. Blockley was also a supplier for other well-known manufacturers including Matthew Boulton, Edward Gascoigne and William Bent. At Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn's house at 20 St James' Square Blockley supplied Gascoigne with cabinet locks which Gascoigne altered.

This set is reputed to come from Nostell Priory in Yorkshire. Adam wrote in 1767 that he had created locks for Nostell 'after a new pattern' but the accounts record their supply by William Bent. Many variations must have been made on this form: similar door furniture can also be found at Saltram House and Home House. Almost identical sets were made for the library at Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire, these consisting of extra swags and pendants.
Bibliographic reference
Patterson, Angus, All That Glisters - Selectons from the Victoria & Albert Museum's Base Metals Collections in The British Antiques Dealers' Association Annual Handbook 2004/5, BADA and The Burlington Magazine Publications Limited 2004
Collection
Accession number
M.3:1, 2-2004

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Record createdMay 7, 2004
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