THE ART JEWELLERFROM CASTELLANI TO KNOX

T H E F I N E A RT S O C I ET Y

The Fine Art Society9 to 13 november 2015

148 New Bond Street · London W1S 2JT +44 (0)20 7629 5116

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THE ART JEWELLERFROM CASTELLANI TO KNOX

T H E F I N E A RT S O C I E T YL O N D O N · 2 0 1 5

F O R E W O R D

It may come as a surprise that The Fine Art Society is presenting a dazzling exhibition of nineteenth-century jewellery, yet this is not the first time we have done so. The gallery exhibited some nineteenth- and early twentieth-century jewellery designers within their lifetimes, starting in 1900 with an exhibition of Nelson & Edith Dawson and in 1905 with Lucien Galliard.

In 1969, under the expert guidance of art historian Charlotte Gere, the gallery included art jewellers, such as Georgina Gaskin, in the exhibition The Earthly Paradise. F. Cayley Robinson, F. L. Griggs and the Painters and Craftsmen of the Birmingham School. In 1975, again with Gere, The Fine Art Society held an exhibition of John Paul Cooper 1869-1933 and Jewellery and Jewellery design 1850-1930; in 1978 jewellery from 1860-1925 accompanied an exhibition of Eastern Encounters: Orientalist Painters of the Nineteenth Century; and in 1979 jewellery

formed a significant part of the exhibition Morris & Company. The last exhibition of jewellery was in 1987, Fabergé and the Edwardians, Items from the Forbes Magazine Collection.

Many of the artists in this exhibition will have become familiar to our clients over the years. Along with the Scottish Arts Council and the National Library of Scotland, the gallery played a fundamental role in resurrecting the reputation of Jessie M. King from near extinction in the 1970s. As an illustrator and jewellery designer, King had enjoyed an international reputation at the turn of the twentieth century, but by the time of her death had fallen into near obscurity. She is now widely recognised as one of Scotland’s most important artists. The gallery exhibited her drawings in 1971-2 and 1977.

Similarly, designs by Archibald Knox have featured prominently in exhibitions at The

Fine Art Society over the years – most recently we showed an exceptional and very rare claret jug from the John Scott Collection. Knox is best known for his designs for Liberty & Co.’s Cymric and Tudric metalwork ranges, which transformed the company from an Oriental warehouse into a cutting edge design retailer.

What connects these two designers is not simply that both worked for Liberty but that they can both be described as artist jewellers. King was an artist-illustrator who turned her hand to jewellery and Knox’s innovative designs afforded him the status of an artist. The extensive crossover and merging of artists and jewellery designers was specific to the mid- to late nineteenth century and can only be said of a small number of jewellers before this time. It is during the period covered by this exhibition, roughly 1860 to 1920, that jewellery was raised to the rank of fine art and, by extension, that jewellers came to be considered artists.

During this period several artists and architects – Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Burges, Alfred Gilbert, Edward Burne-Jones and Charles Rennie Mackintosh – turned their hands to metalwork and jewellery design. Simultaneously many British designers who were primarily known for jewellery became recognised as artists rather than artisans. These included C. R. Ashbee, and his Guild of Handicraft, Nelson and Edith Dawson, Alexander Fisher, Archibald Knox, John Paul Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Gaskin, H. G. Murphy, Edward Spencer, Edgar Simpson and Harold Stabler, some of whom feature here.

This exhibition starts with Alessandro Castellani, born in 1823 into the family jewellery business started by his father in Rome in the early nineteenth century. The Castellanis were celebrated as technical innovators but had not yet achieved artistic status. Alessandro expanded his father’s

business, first in Paris, where he was in political exile, and later in London, with the assistance of his fellow jeweller Carlo Giuliano. The Castellani firm were at the heart of the ‘Revivalist’ jewellery movement, and took inspiration from the antique and medieval pieces from their own extensive collection. In 1862 Alessandro published a pamphlet entitled Antique Jewellery and its Revival and the firm became celebrated for its apt application of ancient techniques, such as filigree and granulation. He also advised the new South Kensington Museum (later the Victoria & Albert Museum) on purchasing objects for its collection.

Major influences on Victorian jewellery design included the widespread public fascination with archaeology, evidenced in the incorporation of cameos, delicate gold filigree, and the use of coral and micromosaic. As in the wider decorative arts, many jewellers were influenced by the Gothic

and Renaissance style. Jewellers even turned to renaissance artworks for inspiration, copying the likes of Holbein. During the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements, designers such as Knox called upon ancient Celtic motifs for inspiration. Throughout the last half of the century, extensive research into the techniques and materials of the past was commonplace.

Audiences today may find it hard to comprehend how exciting these designs were in their time. It is clear that these jewellers were always looking to the past, sometimes to pre-history, in search of a visual language for the modern era. What we hope is illustrated in these pages is how successful and surprising their experiments were; how radical and beautiful they were.

R O W E N A M O R G A N - C O XThe Fine Art Society

Carlo Giuliano 1831-18951 Cupid bracelet c.1860-63Graduated gold bracelet centred by an enamel lozenge decorated with a raised gold cupid in front of a forget-me-not blue background with hand painted foliate design, the enamel highlighted with rose cut diamonds, the lozenge framed by a black champlevé enamel and pearl border. A glazed compartment located behind the central plaque. Signed C.G.

The rich blue enamel is symbolic as it mirrors the colour of the forget-me-not flower. Diamonds in the lore of the lapidary are emblematic of eternal love whilst pearls are an attribute of Venus. The unusual dispersion of the diamonds may refer to the shape of a constellation of stars.

Alessandro Castellani 1823-1883 2 Four-row necklace c.1870Gold scrollwork panels, with seed pearls and lapis lazuli beads mounted between gold floral caps. Signed with intertwined Cs. Inspired by archaelog-ical finds of ancient Etruscan and Roman jewellery. The lapis lazuli beads are possibly from ancient Mesopotamia and recovered during archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean. Examples of similar beads can be found in the British Museum.

liter ature For similar designs see S. Weber Soros and S. Walker, Castel-lani and Italian Archaeological Jewelry, 2004, p.167

Alessandro Castellani 1823-18833 Micromosaic brooch c.1875White glass tesserae in a yellow gold setting, centred with the Greek inscrip-tion ΦΩΣ МОУ [My Light]. Signed with intertwined Cs. A variant of the brooch is held by the Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome.

liter ature For a similar designs see S. Weber Soros and S. Walker, Castellani and Italian Archaeological Jewelry, 2004, p. 166; C. Gere & J. Rudoe, Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria, 2010, p.411, pl.400, described as Periodo Moderno

Alessandro Castellani 1823-18834 Byzantine-style micromosaic brooch c.1875Multi-coloured glass tesserae, the separate motifs edged with twisted gold wirework. Signed with intertwined Cs.

The complex mathematical design is redolent of Byzantine floor mosaics in churches and religious temples based on the concept of sacred geometry. Sim-ilar to mosaic designs in the Castellani Collection in the Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome, described as Periodo Medioevale in Gere & Rudoe, p.410

Alessandro Castellani 1823-18835 Intaglio bracelet c.1875Gold, set with an oval intaglio in black agate, within a border of twisted gold wirework, flanked by two gold batons with four pearl terminals, the band consisting of eight panels set with cabochon rubies and pearls. Signed with intertwined Cs.

liter ature For a similar band see G. Munn, Castellani and Giuliano: Revivalist Jewellers of the Nineteenth Century, 1984, p.50

The composition of the intaglio is derived from the 4th Century sculpture of Meleager by Skopas, which depicts the hero with a dog at his feet. The distinctive square panels which make up the band can be seen in a design by Michelangelo Caetani included in a letter to Alessandro Castellani.

Carlo Giuliano 1831-18956 Cloak pin c.1890Pin decorated with a fan shaped terminal deco-rated with Renaissance style black, white and red enamel topped with a row of pearls, punctuated with three diamonds on a scrolling motif, the ring embellished with alternating bands of enamel and with pearl terminals. The fastening derives from an ancient Celtic form.

Phillips of Cockspur Street. London7 Tudor Rose pendant c.1880Red and white enamel, highlighted with stylised green enamel leaves which radiate from the back, the whole suspended from a white enamel fleur de lys. Presented in its original case, inscribed Phillips Bros & Son, Art Goldsmiths, 23 Cockspur Street. The motif, derived from the decorations which embellish the tomb of Henry VII, was popular with Robert Phillips at this time. The American Mrs Henry Adams recounted seeing several when she visited his store in 1879 (see Gere & Rudoe p.352).

Carlo Giuliano 1831-18958 Cufflinks c.1880Domed oval terminals in yellow gold decorated with champlevé enamel in a scrolling Tudor inspired design with floral and foliate motifs, highlighted with red and green enamel on a monochrome ground. Presented in their original tooled and gilded leather box by Guichard. Signed C.G.

Carlo Giuliano 1831-18959 Cufflinks c.1885Domed oval terminals in gold decorated in the English Renaissance taste with blue enamel and gold female terms wearing foliate crowns. Signed C.G.

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Giacinto Melillo 1846-191510 Putto Brooch c.1875Yellow gold dress pin centred by a putto playing pan pipes, decorated with granulation and wire-work, his chest embellished with a Herculean knot.

liter ature For Melillo’s use of putti see H. Tait (ed.), The Art of the Jeweller: A Catalogue of the Hull Grundy Gift to the British Museum, 1984, p.247

John Brogden 1864-188411 Neo-Egyptian brooch c.1875In the form of a Pharaoh’s head in yellow gold with stylised hieroglyphics running across his headdress. Presented in its original leather box. Signed J.B.The design for a near identical jewel appears in John Brogden’s surviving archive at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Phillips of Cockspur Street, London12 Neo-Egyptian brooch c.1890Winged solar disc, set centrally with a cabochon star sapphire in a gold mount, enamelled black and white flanked either side by two gold cobras and with the stylised wings of a falcon.

The winged solar disc is a combined symbol of the Egyptian gods Re and Horus, gods of light associated with the Pharaoh. Christopher Dresser included a similar design in his anthology Principles of Decoative Design, 1873, undoubtedly popularising the motif with the goldsmiths and jewellers of London. See Gere & Munn, p.147.

Carlo Giuliano 1831-189513 Pair of Neo-Classical cufflinks c.1880Pentagonal gold panels depicting the top half of a man’s face in profile. Signed C.G.

The distinctive design of these cufflinks is directly derived from a carnelian intaglio in the British Museum [inv. 1913,0307.203].

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Carlo Joseph (1855-1950) and Arthur Giuliano (1855-1914)14 Necklace with seven pendants c.1890Gold, with pierced scrolling panels of black and white champlevé enamel set with pearls and diamonds in the Neo-Renaissance taste; pendants set with cushion cut caramel coloured zircons, with pearls and diamond. Signed C.G. Presented in its original tooled and gilded leather case by Guichard.

Attributed to the Giuliano firm15 Neo-Renaissance pendant c.1890-1900Gold, decorated with beaded and foliate monochrome enamel in the Renais-sance taste, set with pearl trefoils and stylised diamond set leaves with pearl and diamond punctuations, the centre mounted with a ruby.

16 Neo-Renaissance pendant c.1890Gold, formed as a quatrefoil decorated with blue and black enamel with white enamel beading, centred by a chrysoberyl, set with pearls, a scalloped enam-elled gold and pearl drop.

The design of this pendant is close to the work of Pasquale Novissimo, who worked with Giuliano. Among the surviving designs by Novissimo, held at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, is one in particular which features a near identical pearl and enamel drop.

Arthur (1862-1928) & Georgie Gaskin (1866-1934)17 Necklace and pendant c.1903-12Silver leaves and flowerheads set with a heart-shaped mother-of-pearl, chryso-prase, pink tourmalines, pink sapphires, and emeralds with a pearl drop

Arthur (1862-1928) & Georgie Gaskin (1866-1934)18 Pendant c.1903-12Silver with gold leaves and berries, set with a rare yellow chrysoberyl, green zircons and rock crystal, with green zircon and rock crystal drop. Original bale.

literature For similar designs see Arthur & Georgie Gaskin, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Catalogue, 1982, p.80-89

Arthur (1862-1928) & Georgie Gaskin (1866-1934)19 Forget-me-not necklace with round drop pendant c.1903-12Silver openwork, with blue and green foliate enamel decoration, set with pearls and blue opal doublets.

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collection literature G. Munn and C. Gere, Pre-Raphaelite to Arts and Crafts Jewel-lery, 1996, p. 26, pl.10; V. Arwas, Art Nouveau: From Mackintosh to Liberty, 2000, p.112 (ill.)

James Cromar Watt 1862-194020 Necklace c.1900Gold, with multiple gold chains, five pendants of coloured enamel and six mother-of-pearl pendants, five enamel sections and enamel clasp, interspersed with river pearl drops, on gold chains with seed pearls and six cabochon red almandine garnets

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collection literature G. Munn and C. Gere, Pre-Raphaelite to Arts and Crafts Jewel-lery, 1996, p.40, pl.15; V. Arwas, Art Nouveau: From Mackintosh to Liberty, 2000, p. 112 (ill.)

Liberty & Co.21 Heart and rose locket c.1900Silver, topped with a cabochon chrysoprase with beading and twisted wire, the whole suspended from a further cabochon chrysoprase with a stylised floral link chain

The design for this jewel appears as number 8514H in the Liberty Jewellery Sketchbook which is held at Westminster City Council. The style of the work is close to the designs of Bernard Cuzner who worked with Liberty & Co at the turn of the century.

Jessie Marion King 1875-1949Liberty & Co.22 Necklace c.1900Silver, decorated with blue and green enamel on silver chain with two silver enamel drops; marked silver and WHH (for William H. Haseler)

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collectionliterature V. Arwas, Art Nouveau: From Mackintosh to Liberty, 2000, p. 23 (ill.)

Archibald Knox 1864–1933Liberty & Co.23 Necklace c.1900Gold set with citrines and irregular pearls

literature Liberty Jewellery Sketchbook, p.207 (Model 8008); S. Martin, Archibald Knox, 2001, p.251 (ill.)

Knox worked alongside the architect M.H. Baillie Scott before moving to London in 1897 where he joined the Silver Studio and began working with Liberty & Co. Knox was a key designer for Liberty’s gold and silver metalwork range ‘Cymric’, launched in 1899, which defined the company’s ‘art nouveau’ look.

Archibald Knox 1864–1933Liberty & Co.24 Brooch c.1900Silver, decorated with green, blue and red enamel in geometric form; marked silver and WHH (for William H. Haseler)

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tionliterature S. Martin, Archibald Knox, 2001, p.260 (ill.)

Archibald Knox 1864–1933Liberty & Co.25 Brooch c.1900Silver, decorated with green and orange enamel in geometric form; marked silver and LC&Co Ltd

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tionliterature S. Martin, Archibald Knox, 2001, p.260 (ill.)

Archibald Knox 1864–1933Liberty & Co.26 Tulip brooch 1903Silver, decorated with blue, green and yellow enamel; marked Cymric and Sterling

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tionliterature V. Arwas, The Liberty Style, 1979, no.17; S. Martin, Archibald Knox, 2001, p.260 (ill.), model 1086. For similar designs by Liberty & Co. see Liberty’s 1875-1975: An Exhibition to Mark the Firm’s Cenetenary, V&A Museum catalogue, 1975, pp.66-72

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Attributed to Jessie Marion King27 Pendant attributed English c.1900Foliate gold branches decorated with yellow, peach and green enamel, punctuated by circular shields with beading and red enamel crosses, mounted with cabochon fire opals

The treatment of the enamel leaves and the gold wire construction bears a marked similarity to the jewellery designs attributed to Jessie M. King for Liberty & Co. In particular the beaded cross mo-tif, which is a distinctive feature of this jewel, is a conceit which appears in King’s textile designs.

Liberty & Co.28 Cufflinks c.1900Yellow gold oval panels centred by cabochon tur-quoise with four cells of rich blue green enamel.The design for these cufflinks appears in the Liberty Jewellery Sketchbook which is held at Westminster City Council, number 3002.

Archibald Knox 1864–1933Liberty & Co.29 Tulip broochGold, decorated with green, blue, orange and yellow enamel, of abstract tulip motif; marked Cymric and 15 Ct.

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tionliterature V. Arwas, The Liberty Style, 1979, no.17

Liberty & Co. 30 Cloak or collar clasp c.1900Gold with six inlaid pearls; marked L&Co. and Cymric

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tionliterature V. Arwas, The Liberty Style, 1979, no.17. For another cloak clasp by Liberty’s 1875-1975, V&A Museum catalogue, 1975, p.66

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Liberty & Co. 31 Buckle 1903Hammered silver with blue, green and yellow enamel insets; marked Cymric, L&Co., silver hallmarks for Birmingham, England, and date mark for 1903

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tion literature V. Arwas, The Liberty Style, 1979, no.23; Liberty’s 1875-1975, V&A Museum catalogue, 1975, p.70

Jessie Marion King 1875-1949Liberty & Co.32 Galleon buckle 1911Green, blue, brown and white enamel; marked L&Co., silver hallmarks for Birmingham, Lon-don and date mark for 1911

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tion

Jessie Marion King 1875-1949Liberty & Co.33 Buckle 1906Silver, with blue and green enamel; marked L&Co., silver hallmarks for Birmingham, Lon-don and date mark for 1906

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tion literature V. Arwas, The Liberty Style, 1979, no.23; Liberty’s 1875-1975, V&A Museum catalogue, 1975, p.72

Archibald Knox 1864–193334 Buckle 1901Silver, with triple celtic entrelacs, marked L&Co., Cymric, silver hallmarks for Birmingham, En-gland, and date mark for 1901

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tion literature V. Arwas, The Liberty Style, 1979, no.20, with enamel; V. Arwas, Art Nouveau: From Mackintosh to Liberty, 2000, p.92; Liberty’s 1875-1975, V&A Museum catalogue, 1975, p.70; S. Martin (ed.), Archibald Knox, 2001, p.68, buckle designs taken from Knox’s studio after his death, from Manx National Heritage, and p.268 (ill.)

Archibald Knox 1864–193335 Buckle 1901Silver, with celtic entrelacs; marked L&Co., Cym-ric, silver hallmarks for Birmingham, England, and date mark for 1901

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tion literature V. Arwas, Art Nouveau: From Mackintosh to Liberty, 2000, p.92; Liberty’s 1875-1975, V&A Museum catalogue, 1975, p.67; S. Martin, Archibald Knox, 2001, p.268 (ill.)

Guild of Handicraft36 Buckle 1896Silver, with floral abstract motif; marked for C. R. Ashbee’s Guild of Handicraft GHLd, silver hallmarks for London, England, and date mark for 1896

provenance Victor & Gretha Arwas Collec-tion

Child & Child37 Pendant c.1890Silver, gold backed, with open work and set with citrines and pale aquama-rines, on a gold chain. Marked with the Child & Child sunflower mark

Child & Child had premises at 25 Thurlow St., South Kensignton, and were chosen by Edward Burne-Jones to make his jewellery collection.

Jessie Marion King 1875-1949Liberty & Co.38 Necklace c.1900Gold, the pendant set with cabochon sapphires and pearl within a border of green enamelled leaves and small sapphires with a moonstone drop. Gold enamelled chain set sapphires and moonstones.

Jessie Marion King 1875-1949Liberty & Co.39 Necklace c.1900Silver, set with moonstones within borders of blue, green enamelled leaves surrounded by gold wire wirework and gold florets, silver chain and gold clasp.

Jessie Marion King 1875-1949Liberty & Co.40 Necklace c.1900Gold set with opals and small peridots surrounded by green enamelled leaves. Each panel with a pearl drop.

Attributed to Jessie Marion King 1875-1949 or a fellow Liberty designerLiberty & Co.41 Necklace c.1900Silver, with peacock blue enamel in shaped cells and irregular pearl drops

Murrle, Bennett & Co. 42 Pendant c.1900Gold, set with central turquoise and gold set turquoise drop. Marked MBCo. and 15CT.

Murrle, Bennett & Co. 43 Pendant c.1900Gold set with turquoise and with pearl drop. Marked MBCo. and 15Ct.

Murrle, Bennett & Co. 44 Pendant c.1900Gold, set with central turquoise and gold set turquoise drop

For an advertisement of gold jewellery by Murrle, Bennett & Co. see The Studio, ‘Special Winter Number’: Modern Design in Jewellery and Fans, 1901-2, AD III. The firm were wholesale, manufacturing jewellers, then based at 15 Charterhouse Street.

Murrle, Bennett & Co. 45 Locket pendant and chain c.1906Gold, set with pink rose quartz and with a pearl drop. The back opening to reveal a compartment for a photograph. The original chain punctuated with leaf motifs. Marked MBCo. and 15CT; inscribed RMNMarch 8th 1906.

Murrle, Bennett & Co. 46 Pendant and chain c.1900Gold set with central with mother-of-pearl, green tourmaline and a green paste drop. Marked MBCo. and 15CT; inscribed A.B.D. & A.T.S. 17.04.09

Murrle, Bennett & Co. 47 Pendant c.1900Gold set with opal. Marked MBCo. and 15CT.

Attributed to Edward Spencer & John BonnorArtificiers’ Guild48 Galleon necklace c.1905Silver with gold and enamel accents, set with opal, pink tourmaline, garnet, turquoise, chalcedony and moonstone. Presented in its original case, inscribed The Artificers’ Guild Ltd, 1, Conduit Street, London W.

literature For a similar design see G. Munn & C. Gere, Pre-Raphaelite to Arts and Crafts Jewellery, 1996, p.18, pl.6

Published in an edition of 1500 copies for the exhibition The Art Jeweller: From Castellani to Knox held at 148 New Bond Street, London w1, 9-13 November 2015.

The Fine Art Society would like to thank Charlotte Gere for her generous assistance in cataloguing these pieces.

Catalogue © The Fine Art Society Text © the authors

ISBN 978 1 907052 61 3

Designed and edited by Rowena Morgan-Cox

All photography © A.C. Cooper Printed in UK by ArtQuarters Press

Cover: Alessandro Castellani, Byzantine-style micromosaic brooch

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T H E F I N E A RT S O C I ET Y148 New Bond Street · London W1S 2Jt · www.faslondon.com