For sale is this superb silver dish attributed to Robert Catterson Smith and assayed for William George Connell, London 1897.  Connells were one of the earliest innovators in arts and crafts silver, being the only other exhibitor of such silver alongside Charles Ashbee’s Guild of Handicraft in the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society of 1893.

Dishes by Connells of this type made between 1893 – 1900 are not uncommon but the quality of the workmanship on this dish is exceptional – almost Gilbert Marks’ quality of repousse and chasing.   It is confidently attributed to Catterson-Smith, a very similar dish by him was published in the Art Journal in 1896 and features in Professor Stephen Pudney’s article on Connells published in 1999 in the Silver Society journal.

Catterson-Smith was an important figure in the arts and crafts movement.  Born in Dublin. He was the son of Stephen Catterson Smith (1806-72), portrait painter and President of the Royal Hibernian Academy. Robert studied at the Royal Hibernian Academy and Dublin School of Art where he became an assistant teacher. He was a painter, black and white artist and silversmith.

Catterson-Smith moved to London in 1874 to study under John Henry Foley but this was cut short by the sculptor’s death. Robert took up painting and then turned to art metal work in 1892. Catterson-Smith was largely a self-taught silversmith though he attended some classes a Bedford Park School of Art. He worked for William Morris from 1893, particularly on the designs by Edward Burne-Jones for the Kelmscott Press edition of Chaucer. Between 1894-32 he was a member of the Art Workers Guild.

He taught design at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London and acted as an inspector of schools for the London County Council in the late 1890s. From 1901-3 he was headmaster of the Vittoria Street Branch School and from 1903-20 of the Central School of Art, both in Birmingham. In 1912 Catterson-Smith also became Director of Art Education for the City of Birmingham. He was the author of ‘Drawing from memory and mind picturing’ (London, 1921) and was the subject of the catalogue ‘Robert Catterson-Smith: a forgotten Pre-Raphaelite’ (Brighton, 2003). He died at Park House Gardens, Twickenham, London.

Price: £765

Maker:  Connells of Cheapside

Designer:  Robert Catterson-Smith

Date: 1897

Marks: WGC, London, “b”, “Connell of Cheapside” to reverse

Material: Sterling silver

Condition: Excellent.

Size:  23 cm diameter

Weight:  10.3 oz, 289 grams