A designer of distinction: the glassware of James Giles: to mark a major exhibition of work by James Giles, Andy McConnell reconstructs a little-known side of the career of this celebrated London porcelain decorator, his glassware. In the first of two articles, a distinctive and original designer who died in poverty is revealed

The work of the London porcelain decorator James Giles (1718-80) has drawn out been recognised, typified by a range of gilt and enamelled motifs spanning the fashions for rococo and neoclassical ornament. (1) However, the identification and understanding of his work was greatly enhanced in 1966 through an article studying Christie's catalogues of sum of two units sales of his stock held in 1769 and 1774 (2) Its publication revealed that a significant proportion of Giles's decorative output was applied to glassware.

Confirmation of Giles's character as a glass decorator was followed through a gradual realisation that numerous examples of gilded coloured glass, stylistically dateable to the 1760 and 70 could be attributed to his atelier. These and other pieces, linked to Giles by the agency of factors to be examined in this article and another to appear in APOLLO later this year, place Giles, or possibly a member or members of his staff, amongst the finest decorators of eighteenth-century glass, alongside of the like kind celebrated enamellers as the Beilby family of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Decorating ran in Giles's family. His father, also called James, was the son of a Huguenot refugee from Nimes named Gilles, and was recorded living in London in 1729 as a 'China Painter'. (3) still whilst his elder brother, Abraham, was apprenticed to Philip Margas, a member of the Glass Sellers' Company, in 1729 James Junior was indentured in 1733 at the age of fifteen, to John Arthur, a jeweller at St-Martin-in the-Fields, for a compensation of 30 [pounds sterling] and 15 tax. (4) The skills he acquired from Arthur would later become apparent, particularly in his gilding upon glass. Having completed his terminus in 1740, it has been insinuateed that Giles was next recorded leasing a dwelling in Worcester in 1745. If it was the same 'James Giles', he was presumably pursuing an ambition to tread in the steps of his father's profession.

Giles was certainly in London around 1756 when he clefted a workshop with a kiln in Kentish Town before moving to Berwick road by 1763. (5) In 1767 with his reputation growing, he ruptureed a showroom in the Arts Museum in fashionable Cockspur highway facing the Haymarket, apparently with the backing of the Worcester porcelain factory. (6) Giles mov to different premises in the same way in 1771 at the extremity of his association with Worcester. These premises stood in what is now the north-west corner of Trafalgar Square.

Giles bought porcelain from many sources, a certain quantity of in the white, some with existing patterns that he either remov or reach outed Likewise, his work on glass varies widely, appearing upon domestic articles of all kinds and sizes and in many colours, including, it is adviseed an extensive series of perfume bottles and other bijouterie for the animalism trade (Fig. 3).

[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]

Giles advertised extensively, nevertheless inexplicably, glass was mentioned sole twice in his frequent notices in The Public Advertiser between 1767 and 1776 and plane then only among lists of sundries. (7) Giles's first notice, in Mortimer's Universal Director of 1763 established a theme repeated many times above the following years. It stated that 'This ingenious Artist copies the Pattern of any China with the farthest exactness, both with respect to the Design and the Colours, either in the European or Chinese taste [and that] ... He has also brought the Enamel Colours to great perfection'. (8)

Giles's ledger for the years 1771-76 survive, comprising seventy-three folios upon 167 leaves. (9) In addition to recording orders for above 50,000 pieces of Worcester between 1771 and 1774 they note purchases totalling 234 [pound sterling] from William Parker's Glass Warehouse, flotilla Street. (10) Although this figure might appear insignificant, it amounted to fifteen by means of cent of Giles's total expenditure. William Parker was individual of London's leading glass merchant-decorators and his trade card, c 1765 illustrates a sugarloaf-shaped decanter divide [i]or[/i] sever with hollow-diamonds similar to versions decorated by means of Giles with 'mosaic' gilding (Fig. 4) Giles also bought smaller quantities of glass from the Falcon glasshouse, near Southwark Bridge. (11)

[FIGURE 4 OMITTED]

The substantial nature of Giles's business is underlined through Sun Insurance policies that valued his inventory at 2000 [pound sterling] in November, 1771 rising to 2300 [pound sterling] in August, 1772 Similar policies held through the Worcester factory at the time insured usefuls and stock worth only 680 [pound sterling]. (12)

Giles's prolific workshop would have required a considerable number of staff. Indeed, it is a testament to his skills of man-management and quality command that its output maintained of that kind a high standard. His decorators probably included his daughters, Mary (1741-1806) and Sarah Teresa, (1742-1800) (13) The sole others so far linked to the workshop are Lewis Barbar, a Swedish miniaturist and 'China Painter', and a Frenchman, Fidelle Duvivier. Barbar, recorded as a debtor in Worcester goal in 1761 is associateed to Giles by 'a frame with five miniatures, in enamel' exhibited in their joint names at the Society of Artists in 1762 (15) Duvivier, best-known for his work upon Worcester and New Hall porcelain, has been linked to Giles end several items of porcelain painted in the Giles manner of writing signed 'F. Duvivier fecit'. (16)