Sworders
Los 160
An Edwardian silver and enamel box,
by Nelson Dawson, London 1902,
of rectangular form, the cover with enamel panel depicting a galleon in seas with mermaids and bearing the motto 'A dieu nous donne bonne adventure',
13cm long
11cm wide
5.5cm high
Nelson Dawson was a painter before he became a goldsmith. He took up metalwork in 1891 although it is not known where he studied. He attended lectures on enamelling given by Alexander Fisher and apparently passed on the technique to his wife, Edith, originally an artist herself, whom he married in 1893. By 1896, they were producing metalwork and jewellery from their home, The Mulberry Tree in Chelsea. He was principally the designer and draughtsman, his wife, chief enameller, and the pieces were executed by craftsmen in workshops nearby. They built up a good following, including a commission from Queen Victoria, and by 1900 had established themselves at larger premises at Swan House, Chiswick and a workshop in Hammersmith Mall, where they employed up to twenty craftsmen, including Edward Spencer who was Dawson's chief assistant. The Fine Art Society held an exhibition of their work in December 1900 which included 125 pieces of jewellery.
The Artificers' Guild was founded in 1901 with the Dawsons and Spencer named as principals. At this stage, all the silver or gold produced carried Nelson Dawson's own makers mark, N.D. He agreed to work exclusively for the Guild for the next five years, but it failed financially and he resigned in 1903, after apparently not being able to work successfully with Edward Spencer. The Guild was sold as a going concern to Montagu Fordham, a successful businessman who had previously been the director of the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft.
The Dawsons continued to design metalwork and jewellery with Edith working on most of the enamels. They gave up metalwork to concentrate on their painting in 1914.
CONDITION REPORT: General wear to the silver including small dents to the lid.
Exterior hall marks are rubbed.
Enamel has some internal fractures consisting of a few fine lines.
Very small piece of enamel missing to gap between second right hand large sails (might have been always absent).
Please view additional images (upon request).
