Designed by Christopher Dresser (English, born Scotland, 1834-1904)
Made by Hukin and Heath (London and Birmingham, England, 1855-1953)
Ladle
INV-1217
Designed by Christopher Dresser (English, born Scotland, 1834-1904)
Made by Hukin and Heath (London and Birmingham, England, 1855-1953)c. 1880
Japanismjaponismdesign reformmetalworksilver
Date
c. 1880
Medium
Electroplated silver and ebony
Dimensions
H.: 34.6 cm (13 5/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
European Decorative Arts Purchase Funds
Electroplating, an electrical means to adhere a thin layer of silver to a base metal, was patented by a Birmingham manufactory in 1840. By the late 1800s, the region was home to many firms specializing in this technique. Christopher Dresser viewed electroplating as a means to produce elegant and modern design at reasonable prices for the middle class. This ladle and the tureen it accompanies are based on simple Buddhist metalwares he observed while in Japan in 1876.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
