Lot 383
DOUGLAS STRACHAN (DESIGNER 1875-1950) & JAMES CROMAR WATT (MAKER 1862-1940) §
ARTS & CRAFTS SILVER, ENAMEL AND MOTHER OF PEARL PENDANT, CIRCA 1920
Auction: 3 April 2019 at 12:00 BST
Description
worked as the Virgin and Child, flanked by angels, with pearl-set drop, the bail suspending an opal stone with twin suspending chains set with seed pearl spacers, fitted within original box
Dimensions
8.5cm long
Footnote
Provenance: Douglas Strachan
By family descent
Note: James Cromar Watt trained as an architect, later teaching himself metalworking and enamelling, inspired by contemporary artists such as Alexander Fisher and Phoebe Anna Traquair. By 1896 he had resigned his associateship to concentrate exclusively on work in precious metals, developing particular skills in the ancient techniques of gold granulation and translucent foiled enamelling. His work was exhibited at Turin in 1902 and was extensively illustrated in the 'Art Journal' from that year. He was also a keen botanist, traveller and collector. Although many of his pieces are influenced by his extensive travels and resulting collections of objects he also collaborated with other artists. One of those was his friend Douglas Strachan, one of Scotland's foremost stained glass artists, and the designer of the present lot.