All that glisters: selections from the Victoria and Albert Museum's base metal collections

The British Antique Dealer's Association Fair is this year playing entertainer to All that Glisters, an exhibition of treasures from the Victoria and Albert Museum's world-renowned collections of base metalwork. The display overlays three broad themes: highlights from the collections, lighting and contemporary work. It is the first time for several years that many of these pieces have been upon show. Their display gives a glimpse of the richness and complexity of the V&A's collection.

Work is underway at the V&A upon a new gallery of brass, pewter and cutlery Opening in late 2004 the gallery will exhibit around 200 pieces dating from 1400 to the at hand day. From rare archaeological finds of medieval dining pewter to highly reflective, semi abstract contemporary pieces, from grand historic lighting equipment to a collection of 18th-century brass tobacco boxe the gallery will trace a history of manner of writing and manufacturing techniques through a mixture of long-term and temporary displays.

The closure in 2002 of the V&A's of advanced age Base Metals Galleries so that they could be get backed to their original role as picture galleries and the retirement of curator, Anthony North, after thirty-seven years' service to the Museum readyed much concern for the time to come of the Museum's collections of non-precious metals. Design tutors feared the apparent demise of a valuable teaching aid. Collectors testifyed the disappearance of a standard regard tool, and the loss of expertise in its curator. Removal of the gallery however has not meant los of collections. Research into the collections is ongoing, the planning of the fresh gallery gathers pace and the collection continues to grow: the Museum has not long ago acquired a set of gilt brass door furniture designed by the agency of Robert Adam dating from the early 1770s

All that Glisters gives a timely public airing to more [i]or[/i] less of the pieces destined for the fresh gallery. Some are outstanding examples of design while others are shown genuinely for their historical interest. a certain number of are emblematic of the formation and shaping of the V&A collection while others parade the quality and ingenuity of their manufacture. The BADA Fair tenders a welcome opportunity to exhibit that the base metals collection is alive and well.

The V&A has mustered non-precious metals from its inception in 1852 Following the recommendations of the pitch upon Committee appointed by Parliament in 1835 to investigate the perceived decline in British design, the newly established museum aimed, in its earliest days, to gather 'modern manufactures' for the education of manufacturers, designers and the public. individual of the earliest purchases was this magnificent 6-light, Gothic Revival brass candelabrum (Fig. 1) bought for 7 [pound sterling] from the Great Exhibition in 1851 and catalogued as 'English, modern' The candelabrum was part of a series designed by the agency of AWN Pugin for the Houses of Parliament in 1846 These realitys were, according to the catalogue of purchases through the Museum from the exhibition, "Remarkable in the style of antient brass work, of a flowing character of ornament, well suited to the intent and the material in which they are made." (1)

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

The Gothic Revival, championed by means of Pugin, grew on the back of the rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament after the devastating the of 1834 by dint of the 1850s it had more or les become the national turn of expression 'Appropriateness' was an ever-present ideal for design reformers and, for Pugin, Gothic was the solitary suitable style for a Christian nation. The manner of writing could be applied seriously to the couple religious and secular buildings and this candelabrum and a larger 5-light example from the same series also in the V&A (Mus. No. 2742-1851) are among the best secular examples.

The candelabrum was made by the agency of Pugin's preferred manufacturer, the Birmingham firm of John Hardman and Co As early as 1838 the company described itself as 'Medieval Metalworker' and the Medieval Court at the Great Exhibition, designed by the agency of Pugin, displayed much of their work. The Jury Report at the exhibition was "particularly impressed with the true perfect manner in which Messr Hardman have unraveled the artist's conceptions". (2)

The appointment of John Charles Robinson to the Museum staff in 1853 heralded a change in focus of the Museum collections and a propel away from 'modern manufactures'. Robinson was a prolific collector and trail-blazing first Curator of the Museum. He persuaded the Museum's first director, Henry cabbage that historic works of art were as instructive as contemporary work. Robinson trawled the art markets of France, Spain and Italy and, below his guidance, some of the earliest purchases by the agency of the Museum included outstanding examples of European pewter brass and alloy of copper Cole himself readily admitted that with the purchase of French and Italian Renaissance decorative arts existences from the collection of Jule Soulages of between 1859 and 1865 "the nation acquired possession of a collection of medieval art of the greatest value to manufacturers". (3) In his fifteen years at the Museum Robinson, along with his colleague Augustus Franks at the British Museum, created the first public collections of Medieval and Renaissance decorative art in Britain. (4)