Gifts of Grandeur: The Henry Wilson Belt Clasp, 1905

Hopefully, this week, I'll get back on the usual schedule with everything, including "A Recipe for Punch."  For now, let's look at this...

Click on image to enlarge.
Belt Clasp
Henry Wilson, 1905
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I have a special fondness for the work of the jeweler Henry Wilson (1864-1934). Wilson’s jewelry is exceptional both for its form as well as the quality of the enameling and gem selection. He tended toward interesting color combinations and chose stones with only the richest colors. Wilson, a former architect (like many jewelers of his time) designed pieces which resonated with sculptural and architectural qualities, achieving a three-dimensionality which was unknown until that point. 

This is one of the most unusual pieces of Wilson’s that I’ve seen. This silver belt clasp was made in three parts. It is set with amethysts, garnets, williamsite (a green mineral), moonstones, agate, chalcedony and cat's-eye quartz. The central piece is adorned with sprays. Dating to 1905, this clasp was made to be worn on a variety of belts. 

Mastery of Design: The Henry Wilson Choker, 1910

Necklace of Seed Pearls, Emeralds, Star Rubies, Moonstone and Enamel
Henry Wilson, ca. 1910
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The famed Arts and Crafts jeweler Henry Wilson's (1864-1934) was celebrated for its brilliant color combinations worked in stones and enamel as well as its natural sculptural qualities.  Wilson, after training as an architect, became interested in metalwork in the 1890s, and went on to teach at the Royal College of Art.   He later penned a practical manual “Silverwork and Jewellery” in 1903 wherein he encouraged his students to “feed his imagination on old work,” and incorporate historical themes.

This necklace is a great example of Wilson’s sensibilities.  Here, we see that the back as well as the front of the central pendant is decorated with enamel in the manner of Renaissance jewelry.  The necklace of gold is set with star rubies, emeralds, moonstones, emamel, seed pearls and pearl drops and adorned with an enameled plaque of a running stag.

The necklace was made by Wilson in Kent around 1910.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Henry Wilson Belt Clasp, 1905

Click on image to enlarge.
Belt Clasp
Henry Wilson, 1905
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I have a special fondness for the work of the jeweler Henry Wilson (1864-1934). Wilson’s jewelry is exceptional both for its form as well as the quality of the enameling and gem selection. He tended toward interesting color combinations and chose stones with only the richest colors. Wilson, a former architect (like many jewelers of his time) designed pieces which resonated with sculptural and architectural qualities, achieving a three-dimensionality which was unknown until that point. 

This is one of the most unusual pieces of Wilson’s that I’ve seen. This silver belt clasp was made in three parts. It is set with amethysts, garnets, williamsite (a green mineral), moonstones, agate, chalcedony and cat's-eye quartz. The central piece is adorned with sprays. Dating to 1905, this clasp was made to be worn on a variety of belts. 

Mastery of Design: The Henry Wilson Belt Clasp, 1905

Click on image to enlarge.
Belt Clasp
Henry Wilson, 1905
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I have a special fondness for the work of the jeweler Henry Wilson (1864-1934). Wilson’s jewelry is exceptional both for its form as well as the quality of the enameling and gem selection. He tended toward interesting color combinations and chose stones with only the richest colors. Wilson, a former architect (like many jewelers of his time) designed pieces which resonated with sculptural and architectural qualities, achieving a three-dimensionality which was unknown until that point. 

This is one of the most unusual pieces of Wilson’s that I’ve seen. This silver belt clasp was made in three parts. It is set with amethysts, garnets, williamsite (a green mineral), moonstones, agate, chalcedony and cat's-eye quartz. The central piece is adorned with sprays. Dating to 1905, this clasp was made to be worn on a variety of belts. 

Mastery of Design: The Henry Wilson Choker, 1910

Necklace of Seed Pearls, Emeralds, Star Rubies, Moonstone and Enamel
Henry Wilson, ca. 1910
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The famed Arts and Crafts jeweler Henry Wilson's (1864-1934) was celebrated for its brilliant color combinations worked in stones and enamel as well as its natural sculptural qualities.  Wilson, after training as an architect, became interested in metalwork in the 1890s, and went on to teach at the Royal College of Art.   He later penned a practical manual “Silverwork and Jewellery” in 1903 wherein he encouraged his students to “feed his imagination on old work,” and incorporate historical themes.

This necklace is a great example of Wilson’s sensibilities.  Here, we see that the back as well as the front of the central pendant is decorated with enamel in the manner of Renaissance jewelry.  The necklace of gold is set with star rubies, emeralds, moonstones, emamel, seed pearls and pearl drops and adorned with an enameled plaque of a running stag.

The necklace was made by Wilson in Kent around 1910.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Henry Wilson Pearl Pendant, 1900

Pendant of gold, pearls, emeralds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds
Henry Wilson, c. 1900
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The jewelry of Henry Wilson (1864-1934) was very popular in late Victorian England.  Advertisements for the firm graced the pages of the most fashionable publications.  Yesterday, for example, I showed you an ad from an 1895 edition of "The Sketch" which I was given for Easter.

 Henry Wilson's jewelry is known for its rich color combinations which are worked in stones and enamel, as well as and the sculptural qualities of his jewels.

A curious commonality of many other Arts and Crafts designers, including C.R. Ashbee and Wilson Is the fact that they trained originally as architects.  Given this, their pieces all have an innate architectural quality. 

Wilson first became interested in precious metals in the early 1890s, and went on to teach at the Royal College of Art where he published a practical manual of silverwork and jewelry in 1903.

In the preface to the manual,  Wilson encouraged the reader to "feed his imagination on old work." the jeweler himself had a deep attraction to historical themes.  This can be seen in the form of this piece, which draws on the shapes found in Renaissance pendants.

This pendant of gold openwork, pearls, blister pearls, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, moonstone, turquoise, has, at the back, hidden by the pearls, a pendant relief of the Virgin and Child with the legend "MATER CHRISTI."  This portion was probably embossed by Felice Signorelli.

The piece was made in Wilson's studio around 1900.