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| Click images to enlarge. Cradle Richard Norman Shaw England, 1861 This and all related images from: The Victoria & Albert Museum |
There’s a lot of architecture to this handsome cradle which dates to 1861. First of all, it was designed by British architect Richard Norman Shaw as a gift upon the occasion of the first son, Paul, of his friend, fellow architect Alfred Waterhouse. Shaw and Waterhouse were both prominent proponents of the Gothic Revival. Their shared stylistic sensibilities are quite apparent in this cradle which couldn’t be any more Gothic if it tried.
Shaw insisted that the cradle be constructed of oak which he considered “an honest, British wood” instead of a showier imported wood like the mahogany or satinwood which were fashionable in the 1860s. Shaw preferred for the beauty of the wood stand on its own, using only paint and gilding—both known and acceptable means of adornment during the domination of the original Gothic style—to create drama.
The sides of the cradle are painted and gilded with the signs of the zodiac and with panels representing the four seasons on the front and back. Paintings of blackbirds, flowers and leaves adorn the hood, the inside of which is painted blue with gold stars. The hood cover has been mounted with three bronze farthings, one bearing the date 1861, the year that Paul was born. The giving of coins to a newborn baby was considered a token of good luck. While the finished cradle is quite beautiful, it differs drastically from Shaw’s original design for the piece. The drawings of that original design are also in the V&A.
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