Bowl

You can see the influence of two decorative styles on this bowl. Its hammered finish, Celtic-inspired motifs and gemstones are features of later examples of metalwork in the Arts and Crafts style. The applied pierced geometric silver band is a step towards the Art Deco style. The designer, Sibyl Dunlop, presided in caftan and Russian boots over a workshop in Kensington Church Street, London, in the 1920s and 1930s. Her principal craftsman, W. Nathanson, probably made the pierced silver band. He was a master of the piercing saw and firmly believed that some Arts and Crafts metalworkers rejected the saw because they lacked the skill to use it.

Bowl · London · 1924-1925. Silver decorated with applied silver wire and set with chrysoprases. By Dunlop, Sibyl. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.