jam-spoon
- Museum number
- 1979,1201.1
- Description
-
Jam spoon; electroplated nickel silver; trefoil end to handle.
- Production date
- 1905 (designed;circa)
- Dimensions
-
Length: 15.30 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- In set with 1980,0304.2
See also 1980,0304.1
See also 1980,0304.3
In set with 1980,0304.2
See also 1980,0304.1
See also 1980,0304.3
Text from J. Rudoe, 'Decorative Arts 1850-1950. A catalogue of the British Museum collection'. 2nd ed. no.150a.
Mackintosh was commissioned to design furniture and fittings for Miss Cranston's tearooms between 1896 and 1917. The Ingram Street Tea Room opened in 1900 and the Willow Tea Room in Sauchiehall Street opened in 1904. He had previously redesigned furniture and fittings for the Argyle Street Tea Room in 1897, and contributed to the design of the Buchanan Street Tea Room, opened in the previous year. See T. Howarth, 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Modern Movement', London 2nd edn. 1977, chapter 6.
These four pieces are from two different sets, with either trefoil or trifid ends. Although there are a number of contemporary illustrations of the various tearooms, the cutlery is not shown in detail and it is difficult to tell whether a particular set was used in a particular tearoom, but it is more likely that they were interchangeable. The manufacturer remains uncertain; most surviving examples are unmarked, but some pieces bear the mark of E. Bingham & Company, Sheffield; for example, Christie's, London, 18 July 1990, lot 118: six knives with the name in full on the blade and six spoons with trefoil ends, stamped on the handles 'E.B.&Co.' with the letters 'EP' (electroplate) and 'B'. David Hislop's name is also to be found on some pieces, including a third set with lollipop-shaped ends, suggesting that he was involved in some way in the manufacture or retail of the cutlery (reference to pieces with Hislop's name supplied by Simon Cottle).
For further illustrations of the tearoom cutlery, see Pevsner, N., Studies in Art, Architecture and Design II, Victorian and after, London 1968 (chapter on Mackintosh originally published in Milan, 1950), 127; Howarth 1977, pl. 51; G. Hughes, 'Modern Silver throughout the world 1880-1967', 1967.pl. 242.
Information supplementary to Rudoe 1994:
See also M. Collins, 'Towards Post-Modernism, Design since 1851', London, British Museum, revised ed. 1994, fig. 37.
- Location
- On display (G48/dc2)
- Acquisition date
- 1979
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1979,1201.1
