Spoon holder ca. 1878–81 Design attributed to Christopher Dresser British, Scottish In his long and varied career, Christopher Dresser was an ornamentalist, a lecturer in botany, and a designer of silver, ceramics, glass, furniture, and textile patterns. Like his contemporary William Morris (1834–1896), he believed that it took an artist, not just a craftsman, to create good design. However, unlike Morris, who shunned industrial production, Dresser had his designs manufactured by firms scattered between London and Glasgow. Although this spoon holder has not been traced to a particular design b
Spoon holder ca. 1878–81 Design attributed to Christopher Dresser British, Scottish In his long and varied career, Christopher Dresser was an ornamentalist, a lecturer in botany, and a designer of silver, ceramics, glass, furniture, and textile patterns. Like his contemporary William Morris (1834–1896), he believed that it took an artist, not just a craftsman, to create good design. However, unlike Morris, who shunned industrial production, Dresser had his designs manufactured by firms scattered between London and Glasgow. Although this spoon holder has not been traced to a particular design by Dresser, it is typical of the streamlined models produced for him by Hukin & much of Dresser's output for Hukin & Heath, as well as for Elkington's and James Dixon & Sons, other silversmithing and electroplating firms, the spoon holder (spoon warmer or egg coddler) reflects Dresser's penchant for Japanese metalwork. The simple form with applied legs and feet expresses an economy in manufacture, and the modest material adheres to Dresser's desire to produce well-designed, affordable objects. The straight ebony handle and "crow's feet," elements that Dresser frequently employed, reflect his dependence upon Japanese prototypes for aesthetic direction. Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause #418. Christopher Dresser and the Birth of Industrial Design 00:00 / 02:32 Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. We are working to make it available as soon as Spoon holder. British, Birmingham or London. ca. 1878–81. Silver-plated brass, ebony. Metalwork-Silverplate
Size: 4000px × 4000px
Photo credit: © MET/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords:
