Trendspotter – Modern British Silver

Modern British silver remains one of the nation’s best-kept secrets. While silver crafted in Britain from medieval times through to the early 20th century is among the most admired and collectable in the world, it was in the utilitarian post-war years that British silversmithing truly reached new heights. Against the backdrop of austerity and “make do and mend,” a generation of visionary designers emerged, and they would go on to redefine and elevate modern British silver design.

Though British silver arguably reached its peak in the Georgian era, when grand dining tables groaned under the weight of polished silver and an army of staff was needed to maintain it, the post-war period marked a renaissance of creativity and craftsmanship, with whimsical and design-led creations emerging from some of the periods best makers.

Lot 285 - Brian Asquith (1930-2008), a composed three-piece silver coffee service, available at The Art & Design Sale on 23rd October. Estimate - £500 - £800.

The post-war years produced remarkable talents such as Gerald Benney, David Mellor and Robert Welch, all of whom trained at the Royal College of Art in the 1950s and were destined to dominate the field for decades. Gerald Benney, perhaps the most celebrated of the three, remains the only British craftsman ever to hold four Royal Warrants simultaneously. His hallmark “bark effect” texture which was discovered by chance when a damaged hammer left a distinctive pattern on a goblet, was to become one of the most iconic signatures in modern silver design. The 1970s also then saw the emergence of designers such as Malcolm Appleby and Michael Bolton, as well as Graham Stewart, all of whom would dominate the field of silver until the present day.

Lot 299 - Gerald Benney MBE (1930-2008), a pair of silver goblets, available at The Art & Design Sale on 23rd October. Estimate - £300 - £700

These designers were working in a period of austerity. In the postwar period when domestic staff were no longer the norm for the majority of households, people wanted silverware which was easy to clean and this brought about the popularity of EPNS, or silver-plate, which would become mass-produced and utilitarian in style. It was against this backdrop that the creative juices started flowing for the likes of Benney, who were to turn against the utilitarianism of production during the period, to create whimsical and design-led pieces which are now some of their most popular.

Lot 288 - Christopher Nigel Lawrence, a novelty silver and silver gilt surprise mushroom, available at The Art & Design Sale. Estimate - £100 - £200

This is also echoed today, where buyers of contemporary silver are looking for things which stand out against the mass-produced pieces which adorn most of the houses up and down the country and this is being reflected in the values achieved at auction. While works by the most famous names can make well into five or six figures, there are also brilliant pieces of postwar design which can be bought for a song. And this is partly what makes this such an exciting collecting field. For buyers, names to look out for include the likes of Brian Asquith, Christopher Nigel Lawrence, Graham Watling, Gerald Benney and Stuart Devlin as a starting point. Christopher Nigel Lawrence’s nature-inspired naturalistic pieces in particular make fabulous table focal points, while Brian Asquith’s vertical lined pieces or Gerald Benney’s bark-effect works are also immediately recognisable and make for an unbeatable buy for the design-conscious.

There is a large collection of post-war silver at the Art & Design Sale which will take place on 23^rd October, to view the catalogue, please click here.