I am delighted to have a collection of modern and contemporary silver for sale by several of Britain’s leading silversmiths.  See items A1317-A1324.  The link between these contemporary silversmiths and my more typical arts and crafts pieces is very close.  Both represent artistic workshop design and many of today’s leading silversmiths were trained at institutions whose origins and ethos date to the arts and crafts period.  In this instance Michael Lloyd’s initial training was at the Vittoria Street School  in Birmingham, where  decades earlier John Paul Cooper,  Catterson-Smith and Gaskin were all teachers or masters.

This is one of three bowls or tumblers I have for sale by the highly regarded Michael Lloyd. The other early tumbler can be seen at this link.

This tumbler or small bowl dates to quite early in Lloyd’s career. The pattern appears to be of stylized  tree branches. There is one small area of gilding.  Michael has said of a similar pieces of this period and style:

‘These are from my Rousseau period’ (referring to Henri Rousseau the French post-impressionist painter in the primitive manner). ‘ I could be very critical, but a craftsman should not dismiss his early work. I was finding a way to communicate and wouldn’t do shapes. However, the piece does show enthusiasm which may be lost in my later work.’

Michael Lloyd was born in 1950 and studied at Vittoria Street, Birmingham and the Royal College of Art under Robert Godden and Gerald Benney. His graduation show featured a series of hand chased bowls – the V&A Museum bought all of them.  Initially working and living on a canal barge, he now lives in Scotland. He held a prestigious one man show at Goldsmiths’ Hall in 1997 showing his new work, together with items he had made, loaned by Gerald Benney, Rod Kelly and Malcolm Appleby.

Lloyd has received many significant commissions over the years, both public and private including ritual vessels for Lichfield Cathedral (1990/1991) and York Minster (1999); the mace for the Scottish Parliament (1999); the Millennium Collection for Bute House (2000). Works have also been included in important exhibitions such as Twentieth Century Silver, Crafts Council (1991) and Treasures of the Twentieth Century, Goldsmiths’ Company (2000). Hi work appears in many public collections including: Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museum; Birmingham Museums Trust; Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; Goldsmiths’ Company, London; National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh; and the V&A Dundee.

For a similar beaker or tumbler and more information on Lloyd see  ‘British Designer Silver’ by John Andrews and George Styles (pages 294 -303).

Price range: Sold

Maker: Michael Lloyd

Designer: Michael Lloyd

Date: 1980

Marks: M.K.L, London, “f”

Material: Britannia silver

Condition: Excellent

Size: Each 7.25 cm diameter, 5.0 cm high

Weight: 3.5 oz, 99 grams total