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THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Arts and crafts jewellery MARRIED to the JOB The appeal of arts and crafts jewellery is timeless, none more so than the pioneering designs of Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, writes Anthony Bernbaum Ihave been a collector, and now dealer, in arts and crafts silver for more than 15 years but until recently had never fully embraced the magic of Arthur and Georgie Gaskin. It was only in 2018 that I made their introduction when I was lucky enough to receive an email from a major arts and crafts collector who had a passion for their work. A few poor-quality snaps followed that piqued my interest in this famous married couple’s jewellery. I acquired the 1984 exhibition catalogue of the Gaskins produced by the Fine Art Society, which remains the seminal publication on their lives and work. With every paragraph my admiration for their contribution to the Birmingham School and arts and craft grew stronger. In particular Georgie Gaskin, the driving force behind the partnership. As early as 1903 The Magazine of Art acknowledged both her design and craftsmanship: “The demand  is such that strenuous effort is needed for Mrs Gaskin, who has a gift for divining the individual wants of her clients, to maintain in every case that touch of personality which contributes no little to the attractiveness of her work.......Mrs Gaskin’s achievements ought to show what can be done by anyone possessed of the above qualifications.” Above A silver gilt, pearl, amethyst and green chrysoberyl necklace by Arthur and Georgie Gaskin c. 1908. As is typical of much of the Gaskin’s jewellery it is unmarked Right The piece in a 1908 article in The Studio reveals the pendant was designed and executed by Georgie Gaskin THE STUDIO In June of 2019 I met the collector who showed me a large part of his Gaskin jewellery collection.  One piece alone was enough to ensure I was smitten for life. A silver gilt pendant set with tourmalines, pearls and peridot. Possibly a deliberate choice of suffragette colours, the pendant had full provenance from the family of the Manchester architect and designer  James Henry Sellers who commissioned it as a gift for his wife in 1908. The necklace appeared in The Studio magazine when it was being exhibited at the New Gallery. The cherry on top was The Studio’s description that it was designed and made by Georgie. Like so many women of the period she worked in the shadow of her husband and yet here was a piece exemplifying her unique contribution. The pendant had aesthetic brilliance and provenance required for a great piece of jewellery. A healthy avarice overtook me and I was lucky enough to leave my meeting with this piece and several others acquired. It seems, I too, was now a Gaskin collector and dealer. 14 ANTIQUE COLLECTING ‘Like so many women of the period Georgie worked in the shadow of her husband and yet here was a piece exemplifying her unique contribution’
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BIRMINGHAM AND THE GASKINS Arthur and Georgie Gaskin (née France) were a married couple who most famously designed and made jewellery in the arts and crafts Birmingham School tradition from c. 1900 to 1924. Arthur (1862-1928) was born in Birmingham, while Georgie (1866-1934) hailed from Shrewsbury. Both came from middle-class backgrounds, though Georgie’s was much more affluent, initially causing objections to the relationship. The couple met at the Birmingham School of Art where Arthur was a teacher and Georgie a student. Despite her family’s reservations, they married in 1894 and for most of their lives they lived in or around Birmingham and, like many artists and designers from the area moved to the Cotswolds in later life. They moved to Chipping Campden in 1924 where they lived until Arthur’s death in 1928. At the time they lived there, Birmingham was a city of contrasts. On the one hand it was highly industrialised; the jewellery industry alone employed up to 30,000 people working in some 700 workshops in the heart of the city. On the other hand it had the good fortune to have an enlightened and cultured public administration. In the 1870s, a group of local merchant families, mainly non-conformist Quakers and Unitarians began to take an active role in the political life of the city. Under the mayorship of Joseph Chamberlain, families such as the Cadburys became patrons of the arts to such an extent Birmingham in the 1880s has been compared to Florence in the time of the Medicis. ILLUSTRATORS AND ARTISTS  The Gaskins’ reputation was founded not simply on jewellery. At Birmingham’s Municipal School of Art, Arthur fell under the influence of visiting lecturers, including William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and William Luthaby. His work took on the medieval Right Georgie and Arthur Gaskin ‘bird’ brooch, silver, opal doublet, faux emerald and pink tourmaline Below The back of the pendant is beautifully worked and includes the mark ‘G’ Bottom left A silver amethyst choker by Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, c. 1915 Below right Arthur Gaskin (1862-1928), Kilhwych, The King’s Son Below far right Arthur Gaskin (1862-1928) But One of Them, the Youngest, Remained Behind, 1892 Bottom right Georgie Gaskin (1866-1934), ABC An Alphabet, 1895, which she wrote and illustrated Recognising Gaskins’ work  Gaskins’ work is most readily identifiable by their use of delicate interconnected leaves set with semiprecious stones. Subtle differences emerge over time, but the similarity of the pieces is more striking than their differences. As ever with jewellery a close examination of the backs and clasps also helps distinguish the maker. The Gaskins tended to make their own distinctive (but not unique) types of clasps. The construction of their jewellery also varied but normally involved a core structure of flattened wires on which to attach the decorative elements. Stones were not normally backed and were held in place with high silver mounts, not clasps.  They almost never used emeralds or diamonds but green paste and rock crystal. undertones that became the trademark of many illustrators of the period. In 1900 their careers turned towards jewellery design, a move which was given a boost in 1903. The Vittoria Street School for Jewellers and Silversmiths had been set up as a trade school as part of the Municipal School of Art in the heart of city’s jewellery quarter. When the headmaster Robert Catterson-Smith took up the position of head at the Municipal School of Art, his position at the Vittoria Street School went to Arthur. Apart from financial security, the position gave the Gaskins ready access to a skilled pool of assistants among the staff and pupils. ANTIQUE COLLECTING 15

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THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Arts and crafts jewellery

MARRIED to the JOB

The appeal of arts and crafts jewellery is timeless, none more so than the pioneering designs of Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, writes

Anthony Bernbaum

Ihave been a collector, and now dealer, in arts and crafts silver for more than 15 years but until recently had never fully embraced the magic of Arthur and Georgie Gaskin. It was only in 2018 that I made their introduction when I was lucky enough to receive an email from a major arts and crafts collector who had a passion for their work. A few poor-quality snaps followed that piqued my interest in this famous married couple’s jewellery. I acquired the 1984 exhibition catalogue of the Gaskins produced by the Fine Art Society, which remains the seminal publication on their lives and work. With every paragraph my admiration for their contribution to the Birmingham School and arts and craft grew stronger. In particular Georgie Gaskin, the driving force behind the partnership. As early as 1903 The Magazine of Art acknowledged both her design and craftsmanship: “The demand  is such that strenuous effort is needed for Mrs Gaskin, who has a gift for divining the individual wants of her clients, to maintain in every case that touch of personality which contributes no little to the attractiveness of her work.......Mrs Gaskin’s achievements ought to show what can be done by anyone possessed of the above qualifications.”

Above A silver gilt, pearl, amethyst and green chrysoberyl necklace by Arthur and Georgie Gaskin c. 1908. As is typical of much of the Gaskin’s jewellery it is unmarked

Right The piece in a 1908 article in The Studio reveals the pendant was designed and executed by Georgie Gaskin

THE STUDIO In June of 2019 I met the collector who showed me a large part of his Gaskin jewellery collection.  One piece alone was enough to ensure I was smitten for life. A silver gilt pendant set with tourmalines, pearls and peridot. Possibly a deliberate choice of suffragette colours, the pendant had full provenance from the family of the Manchester architect and designer  James Henry Sellers who commissioned it as a gift for his wife in 1908. The necklace appeared in The Studio magazine when it was being exhibited at the New Gallery. The cherry on top was The Studio’s description that it was designed and made by Georgie. Like so many women of the period she worked in the shadow of her husband and yet here was a piece exemplifying her unique contribution. The pendant had aesthetic brilliance and provenance required for a great piece of jewellery. A healthy avarice overtook me and I was lucky enough to leave my meeting with this piece and several others acquired. It seems, I too, was now a Gaskin collector and dealer.

14 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

‘Like so many women of the period Georgie worked in the shadow of her husband and yet here was a piece exemplifying her unique contribution’

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