Samuel Waterhouse The Sun Bowl
With the return of the sun and the lengthening of the days, what better time to talk about Samuel Waterhouse’s sublime Sun Bowl. Benvenuto Cellini, Italian goldsmith said that it’s
“the duty of the artist is to express noble and beautiful ideas.”
Well, what a beautiful idea The Sun Bowl is in fine gold, fine silver, white gold and green gold. It’s one of those objects that transforms us and a symbiotic relationship develops between object and owner.
It measures 6.2cm x 15.3cm and is an intricate and timeless piece. Something remarkable in this, the machine age. To borrow a phrase used to describe another great artist Rene Lalique, it’s the
“the antithesis of the mass produced…the pinnacle of handmade and exclusive luxury.”
But what of Samuel Waterhouse? His affinity with precious metals began at an early age. He is a self-taught maker who looks to antiquity for inspiration. Mixing different colour golds and silver, he produces extraordinary pieces that now grace the homes of some of the most prolific collectors.
SEE COLLECTION→
Goldsmiths’ Fair at Collect
You can see a selection of jewellers and silversmiths at Collect 2019 brought to you by Goldsmiths’ Fair. It’s the only gallery-presented art fair dedicated to modern craft and design and it provides an opportunity to discover and invest in exceptional work produced in the last five years by living artists, much of which is made exclusively for the Fair.
COLLECT→
From 28 February to 3 March 2019 Collect will occupy the whole of the Saatchi Gallery for four days with 40 galleries, selected by an independent panel of experts, selling the work of over 400 artists. Alongside the galleries, Collect Open returns providing a platform for 15 individual artists to show ambitious and conceptual craft-led installations. Samuel Waterhouse will be taking part in a brief discussion in a Booth Talk at Stand 4.3 hosted by David Mills at Collect on 2 March at 1.15.
CONVERSATION→
Samuel’s gorgeous Sun Bowl will feature at Collect.
See it if you can. It has real power. What are those pieces that we’d like to be most closely associated with? Those we’d somehow like to be remembered by because of their close association with us? The Sun Bowl could be just a piece.
A quick word about the esteemed Goldsmiths’ Company. It has been regulating and promoting goldsmithing and silversmithing for almost seven centuries through hallmarking, apprenticeships, mentoring and exhibitions. In short there is nothing quite like it in the world and it is revered in any culture that digs and mines metal and precious stones from the earth.
