Made for the Table is an exhibition, takes place in Osterley House National Trust in partnership with The Goldsmiths Company Silver Collection.
The exhibition runs from 5th November 2018 – 24th February 2019
Osterley House in Osterley Park which is owned by the National Trust.
Fees apply to go in the house and associated events, members go free to this particular event. There is a selection of themed events running at different dates inspired by this winter exhibition. Check website details as many venues are on their Winter opening hours and or program where various things are closed for the winter, or operating differently to the summer schedule.
We have included a few long shots and one or two close up. It’s hard not to rave about all the items, without showing all the fantastic shapes and designs. Being a visitor to an exhibition is still like being a guest to a house. Social media now shares and catalogues events, saturates selfies. However, sharing a good experience without replicating it so that others are inspired to go and that the host sees it as positive feedback, is the aim of this post.
There is an onsite shop selling books and silver items as well as glass ceramic and even Christmas cards.
Sir Thomas Gresham built a manor house on the site at Osterley in the 1570s. Founder of the Royal Exchange. He worked near Goldsmiths Hall, he was a financier and merchant. Gresham St is named after him, and Goldsmiths Hall is on one of its side roads, Foster Lane EC2V. Goldsmiths continued to have links with the next owners of Osterley the Child family who were merchant bankers and extremely wealthy.
The Exhibition was divided into 2 main areas
-The Goldsmiths exhibition Made for the Table.
-The Silverware and some ceramics from Osterley House exhibition.
Osterley Silverware and example
Made for the Table Exhibition
The cabinets were further categorised into these subheadings below. Here are some of the items to look out for.
FLAVOUR
Salt containers, cruet sets that held oil, vinegar, pepper, sugar or salt.
Salt cellars from as early as 1542 and 1599
Octagonal shape, and one that came apart into two towers of salt the top one for the host and the bottom for guests.
Crab salt cellar Barnard 1873
A pepper mill from 1963
Cream and Sugar Set 2007 Grant McCaig
Cruet Set Bayley 1740
LIGHT
Again taking a trip through time from 1771 to the 1800s, 1960s and 2000s.
The 1960s,
Stuart Devlin Candelabrum piece was purely stunning hard to guess it was from this era
The mesh-shaped bowl, spectacular by Anna Lorenz
Also two candlesticks by Theresa Nguyen
The 1815 piece by Richard Sibley more traditional candle holder with a ring for the finger to carry and a cone to help extinguish the flame.
DRINK
Cups in various textures, shades, shapes and ages. The oldest being 1630 to the most recent 2013.
Ceremonial Cups
From 1661and an 1829 Wager cup
1957 Goldsmiths Court cup
To cups on a stem from the 1980s and mid 200s.
Tea
A modern Teapot from 20008
A Tea set from 1869
A Tea urn with 3 pouring sputs from 1760
DINE
serving
A fish serving dish from 1954 contemporary and beautiful just as an ornament
“Ludus” Bowl 2017 futuristic and yet looking like its taken inspiration from organic nature. By Kevin Grey Tig Welded Silver
A Soup Tureen that was much older than it looked.
Entrée Dish and its dome cover. A traditional familiar site. 1823 specimen that was used in Goldsmiths Hall by Richard Sibley
Serving cutlery Flatware
The Triangular cake slice implements we might recognise for use during cake celebrations. One such Pudding Trowel for this next item from 1751, by Aldridge and Cartwright. The Goldsmiths Coat of Arms appears in its intricate decoration.
A Fish Slice 1838, with its one-sided nipped in pointy swerved shape like a fish knife only larger and embellished. Made by a female there were not that many Women who made silversmith status.
A Soup ladle Charles Eley 1826. Sumptuous oval bowl from the long swooping handle.
A cutlery set from 1972.
Hand Forged Spoons That Range in shape and age from 1627 to 2017.
A plate made out of silver from 1966
Contemporary Room
Table and Chairs by TOM VAUGHAN for OBJECT STUDIO
The silver items on this table bring an up to date suggestion of what’s possible, especially after seeing what came before in silver history.
Where is Osterley House?
Osterley Park View Road, London Borough of Ealing, England, United Kingdom
