Large Oliver Baker copper and silver jardiniere

Price range: £9,250

A very large Oliver Baker silver copper bowl or jardinière for William Hair Haseler, Birmingham 1898/9.

This is a very rare bowl that preceeds the launch of the Liberty Cymric range and was designed by Oliver Baker for William Hair Haseler. The design combines early arts and crafts silver with art nouveau repousse work. The copper feet appear as stylised trees or women holding the bowl aloft, almost art deco in effect.

The Register of trade marks shows William Hair Haseler’s trade mark of a pair of hazelnuts (itself designed by Baker and a play of Haseler, German for hazlenut) registered on 22nd March 1899. The bowl above must have been completed / hallmarked between March 22nd 1899 and July 1899 when the Birmingham assay office moved to date letter “z”.

The drawing of the bowl appears in the Liberty catalogue from c 1900, and is in sketch book held at the Westminster Archives. This  is one of Baker’s early design that was unsuccessful as part of Haseler’s own short-lived foray into artistic silver but which flourished once Liberty adopted them into the Cymric range.

For further reading see article by myself, Anthony Bernbaum, for the Silver Society Journal 2010 Vol 26, “More light on the origins of the Liberty Cymric range, an evaluation of the contribution of Oliver Baker”.

This piece was on loan in  2018 to Blackwell House, Baillie Scott’s masterpiece, in the Lake District, where it formed part of the newly developed interiors for the one of Blackwell’s most majestic rooms.

Maker: William Hair Haseler

Designer: Oliver Baker (attrib)

Date : 1898

Marks: WHH, Birmingham, date letter “y”, Haseler’s hazlenut trademark

Material: Sterling silver and copper

Condition: Excellent

Size: 21.5cm tall, 29cm diameter at widest point

Weight : 2020 grams, 71.3 oz (not silver weight, includes copper)