A Connells of Cheapside silver “flower” dish
For sale is this classic early arts and crafts silver dish assayed for William George Connell, London 1898. 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. This particular dish is attributed to Christine Connell.
Dishes by Connells of this type made between 1893 – 1900 are not uncommon and the quality of the workmanship on this dish is very good and unusually features five different variety of flowers in chased and repousse silver around the dish’s edge. I have not identified the flowers but one looks to me like a budding peony. See Professor Stephen Pudney’s article on Connells published in 1999 in the Silver Society journal.
Price: £765
Maker: Connells of Cheapside
Designer: Unidentified
Date: 1898
Marks: WGC, London, “c”
Material: Sterling silver
Condition: Excellent.
Size: 22.25 cm diameter
Weight: 8.5 oz, 242 grams
Additional Information
Connells of Cheapside were one of the earliest innovators in arts and crafts silver. Alongside Charles Ashbee’s Guild of Handicraft they were one of only two exhibitors of silver holloware at the 1893 Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society. By 1900 they were retailing goods by Kate Harris and slightly later, A E Jones. For more information see an article on Connells “Pioneers of Modern Artistic Silverware” by Dr Stephen Pudney in the Silver Society Journal page 223, Vol 11, 1999.
| Period | Art nouveau, Arts and crafts |
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