A Kate Harris art nouveau sapphire and opal set silver inkwell

Price: £2,450

For sale is this really great Kate Harris silver inkwell made by William Hutton & Sons.  Dated London 1902.  The inkwell is on three legs with art nouveau silver design holding a Royal Doulton inkwell pot, which in turn has what appears to be its original glass insert.   The sides of the inkwell are set with opals and the lid with sapphires and a central blister pearl.  The Doulton pot itself carries a numberof marks including thr momgram of celebrated Doulton designer Jane Hurst (JH monogram).  The inkwell is very much in the style of the Ruskin pottery.

Kate Harris was employed by the London studio of William Hutton & Sons to produce artistic silver from 1899 to c 1905. Harris was one of the very few women, or British exhibitors, to win recognition at the 1900 Paris International Exhibition.

For more information on Kate Harris, see Professor Stephen Pudney’s articles on her in the Decorative Arts Society Journal Vol 22 “A marriage of art and commerce: Kate Harris and the arts and crafts silverware of William Hutton & Sons” and Vol 39 “Katie Harris: Mystery Woman of English Art Nouveau”.

Maker: William Hutton & Sons
Designer: Kate Harris
Date: 1902
Marks: WHSns , London, “g”
Material: Sterling silver
Condition: Excellent
Size: 9.5 cm wide, 9.5 cm high
Weight: 12.9 oz, 365 grams (not silver weight)