Silver linings
Words | Virginia Blackburn After languishing in the doldrums for decades, silver, previously the Cinderella of the collecting world, is now coming back into its own NOT SO LONG ago, silver was dismissed as old-fashioned and heavy Victoriana. But no more. No longer produced on an industrial scale in London, Sheffield and Birmingham, silverware has become the province of the artisan, with silversmiths [...]
Words | Virginia Blackburn
After languishing in the doldrums for decades, silver, previously the
Cinderella of the collecting world, is now coming back into its own
alt="Contemporary cool – a fine silver tableware bowl by Sarah Hutchison, with a price tag of £1,400">
NOT SO LONG ago, silver was dismissed as
old-fashioned and heavy Victoriana. But no
more. No longer produced on an industrial
scale in London, Sheffield and Birmingham,
silverware has become the province of
the artisan, with silversmiths producing
beautiful one-off, contemporary pieces.
“The difference between traditional silver and modern
silver is that it has changed from functional tableware
to decorative art,” explains Rosemary Ransome Wallace,
curator of the Goldsmiths’ Hall Collections. “It is partly
to do with changing social customs. My parents used
silver in their cutlery, condiments and teapots, which was
a reflection of life in the 1950s, which was itself a final
memory of the Edwardian age. Now this kind of tableware
is only brought out at Christmas or a special event.”
She adds: “People are buying silver for quite different reasons
– they long to possess a one-off piece made by an artist they
admire working with precious metal. Single producers are now
highly-trained, cultured and creative people, and the difference
between fine and decorative arts no longer exists.”
alt="An enamelled silver jug">
And despite the lack of large-scale manufacturing,
Britain remains one of the foremost centres of global
design. “The premiere position of the Royal College of
Art attracts the very best people from around the world,”
Ransome Wallace points out, and indeed, the vast majority
of the well-known names in modern silversmithing did
study there. The culture of silversmithing as such has
not been undermined. It is simply now concentrated on
individuals rather than companies.
It’s impossible to list every one of the best working
silversmiths here, but the Goldsmiths’ Company has a
travelling exhibition called Treasures of Today, which is made
up of 120 pieces of work fashioned by the most exceptional
silversmiths in the country from 1980 to the present day.
These include Kevin Coates, Rod Kelly, Michael Lloyd, Jane
Short and Junko Mori, to name but a few, and they provide
an excellent introduction to contemporary silver.
alt="Prince Charles clock by Simon Benney">
Another first-rate source of information is The Silver Trust,
which commissions silverware to be used at Number 10
Downing Street. Its first commission in 1987 was a cruet
set by Malcolm Appleby. The new collection’s first outing
came in 1993, with a banquet for the then French President
François Mitterrand, who insisted on being allowed to see
each of the silver underplates on the table. Each is different
and unusually for a collection of this kind, was designed
by a student. The Silver Trust has since held a number of
exhibitions during the summer parliamentary recess and
the collection can also be viewed online.
“The common perception is that silversmithing stopped
in the 19th century, but there are still some tremendous
silversmiths around,” says Christopher English, secretary to
the trustees. “It’s a closed market because there’s no leading
figure, such as a Saatchi, buying silverware and so people
don’t know what to look for. But if they had the courage
of their convictions, there are beautiful pieces and the
characteristics of modern silverware are seen mainly in terms
of their decoration. They tend to be sleek and streamlined:
there aren’t many modern curlicues out there.”
alt="Sleek and unique – a ewer by Martyn Pugh">
However, there are signs that an educated interest
in collecting silver is re-emerging. Simon Benney, son
of another very famous modern silversmith, Gerald
Benney, now runs the family company. He has recently
been commissioned to make three silver candelabras
for a family home, a one-year project which has just
been completed, and while reluctant to talk about
the details or price (other than to say they’ve been
ordered by “a banker with an extraordinary home”),
he believes they are the largest private commission
to have been made in the last 100 years.
But Benney does smaller items too and they prove
that while the sky may be the limit on exceptional
one-off items, prices start reasonably low. The company
manufactures vodka beakers for £200, while English himself
collects little bowls and beakers, usually at £500 to £600.
But the real joy in collecting contemporary silver comes
in commissioning a piece yourself. While this might well
cost thousands of pounds, it compares well with the
prices currently being paid for contemporary art. These
silversmiths are the equal of any contemporary painter
and not only is it possible to agree beforehand on the
design of the piece – unlike a painting – but the end result
will be a fraction of the cost.
Many believe its value will also be more enduring.
Certainly, specially-commissioned pieces have been
appearing at auction and selling for well over their original
prices. You will not make a fortune overnight investing
in silver as it’s possible for a canny investor in flat art
to do, but you will be laying down quite a legacy for
your grandchildren. In the meantime, you will also have
beautiful objects to ornament your house.
FIND OUT MORE
- THE GOLDSMITHS’ COMPANY
- THE SILVER TRUST
runs two annual
events: the Summer Exhibition and the Goldsmiths’
Fair in October. For further information call +44
(0)20 7606 7010 or visit www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk
It also has an extensive directory of contemporary
silversmiths at www.whoswhoingoldandsilver.com
not only displays details of its
collection, it also has a list of the silversmiths that
created it and in some cases their contact details.
Find out more at www.silvertrust.co.uk
SILVERSMITHS
alt="A fruit stand made by David Clarke will appeal to modern tastes">
In addition to the names mentioned elsewhere on these
pages, other great silversmiths include Stuart Devlin, David
Mellor, Anthony Elson, Robert Welsh, Christopher Nigel
Lawrence and Brian Asquith. Their work periodically comes
up at auction and is already highly collectable. For more
information on Simon Benney visit www.benney.co.uk
TIP OFF
When buying, always go for the best you can afford. Bear
in mind that while a one-off piece will cost more than
a piece in a series, it may also appreciate more in value.
