Lot 12
CHRISTOPHER DRESSER (1834-1904)
LIDDED DECANTER & STOPPER
Auction: 19 April 2005 at 13:00 BST
Description
manufactured by Hukin and Heath, silver plate and glass, stamped marks 'Designed by Dr C Dresser', and 'H & H 2045', registration mark for 1879
Dimensions
24.5cm high
Footnote
EXHIBITED:
'Christopher Dresser 1834-1904: Pottery, Glass, Metalwork', The Fine Art Society Ltd, London, 3 October - 27 October 1972, no. 114
Design, Mirror of the Century, Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, 17 May - 25 July, 1993
'Christopher Dresser: Un designer alla corte della regina Victoria', Palazzo della Triennale, Milan, 30 October 2001-March 2002
'The Shock of the Old: Christopher Dresser', Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, New York, 5 March - 25 July 2004
'Christopher Dresser 1834-1904: A Design Revolution', The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 9 September - 5 December 2004
LITERATURE:
'Christopher Dresser 1834-1904', Michael Whiteway, Skira Editore S.p.A., Milan, 2001, plate 78
'Christopher Dresser: A Design Revolution', ed. Michael Whiteway, V & A Publications, London, 2004, plate 180
Christopher Dresser; The Peoples Designer 1834-1904, Harry Lyons, Antique Collectors Club, 2005, pp 6-9, plate 341
NOTE:
Known as the 'Crows Foot' decanter this lot is one of six lots in the sale which have been copied by Italian firm Alessi s.p.a. for their 'Dresser' range. The others are lots 14, 19, 24, 36, and 41. In 1991 Alberto Alessi commented 'His (Dresser's) designs demonstrate that he knew the techniques of metal production - better than any designer that ever passed through Alessi's doors. This did not prevent him from never accepting his expertise as final. On the contrary, he tested and strained his knowledge in a constant quest for better manufacturing and expressive results'