1982.1116

Charles Robert Ashbee (designer), Guild of Handicraft (maker), William Mark (painter)

Round box of silver with an enamelled lid designed by C R Ashbee and made by the Guild of Handicraft. The enamelling is not signed but is very similar to work by William Mark and is likely to be by him. Mark joined the Guild around 1900 after working for Nelson Dawson. Along with Fleetwood Varley he transformed the Guild’s production of enamels by making pictorial plaques for use on boxes such as this. In the background of the image is the ‘Craft of the Guild’, a conceit which Ashbee particularly liked and often used. The fruiting trees and bird with fish are also familiar from the early work of the Guild.

1901 - 1901

Arts & Crafts

silver, enamel

GofH Ltd, 1901, sterling, London