English Silver Before the Civil War: The David Little Collection - Hardcover

Schroder, Timothy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1898565155 ISBN 13: 9781898565154

Publisher: John Adamson Dist A/C, 2015

Synopsis

• Lively introduction to early English silver
• Many hitherto unpublished items of silver illustrated in color

A remarkable private collection formed over the last thirty years is the focus of this richly illustrated book that introduces the reader to English silver spanning a century and a half from a little before the Tudor age (1485-1603) to the threshold of the Civil War (1642-51). This was a period when England changed out of all recognition. At the beginning it was still essentially a medieval country dominated by an autocratic king and a rich and powerful Church; by the end of the period the Church had lost virtually all of its power and, with the execution of Charles I in 1649, the monarchy itself was abolished. To a degree, this changing world is mirrored in the styles represented by the silver featuring in the collection. Besides setting the silver against its social and historical background the book examines the wide range of techniques used by silversmiths at the time to shape and adorn silver objects.

Contents: Foreword by David Little; 1 English Silver before the Civil War; 2 Conspicuous Consumption: the Ceremonies of Dining; 3 'Plate commonly used in the howse'; 4 Silver and Godliness; 5 The Workshop and the Trade; 6 The Afterlife of Early Silver; Catalogue of items in the Little collection; Bibliography; Index; Picture credits

About this title

About the Author:

Timothy Schroder joined the Silver Department at Christie's in 1976 and became Curator of Decorative Arts at the Los Angeles Museum of Art in 1984. After returning to London, he worked as an antique dealer for some years before becoming Curator of the Gilbert Collection at Somerset House. He was subsequently a consultant curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum and is now a freelance lecturer, curator and adviser. He is currently Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths' Company.

Review:

As with all books published by John Adamson, this volume has a very pleasing and elegant layout with gorgeous photography. The book contains a detailed catalog of twenty-five pieces in the collection with photographs of the items, their marks, exact descriptions, measurements, provenance, pertinent information about the item, plus a comparison with similar objects in other famous collections. (Dorothea Burstyn Silver Magazine, March/April 2017)

As with all books published by John Adamson, this volume has a very pleasing and elegant layout with gorgeous photography. The book contains a detailed catalog of the twenty-five pieces in the collection with photographs of the items, their marks, exact descriptions, measurements, provenance, pertinent information about the item, plus a comparison with similar objects in other famous collections. (Silver Magazine)

The book is peppered with alluring historical illustrations that help readers understand the time period. In short, this captivating treatise is a connoisseur's delight (Steven Wayne Yvaska, The Seasoned Collector San Jose Mercury News, March 17, 2016)

With its accessible text, exemplary silver photography, elegant design and careful editing, this is a pleasure to read and should encourage a new generation of collectors to follow David Little's example. (Tessa Murdoch Art Newspaper)

About this edition

• Publisher: John Adamson Dist A/C
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1898565155
• ISBN 13: 9781898565154
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160