{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O117142"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117142/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AA3694/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AA3694/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AA3694","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Colin Reid","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AA6231","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Colin Reid","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AA3740","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Colin Reid","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AA6248","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AA6249","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AA6232","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Colin Reid","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O117142/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117142","accessionNumber":"C.409:1, 2-2017","objectType":"Font and plinth","titles":[{"title":"'Ichthys' font","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"This font by Colin Reid formerly served as the prize for an awards scheme for an Artwork in Ecclesiastical Space that the Art and Christianity Enquiry Trust (ACE) initiated in 2003. Another prize for the awards scheme for Religious Architecture, in the form of stained glass panels by Graham Jones, is displayed at the far end of the V&A's Sacred Silver and Stained Glass gallery. ACE promotes understanding of the links between religion and the visual arts. Together, the prizes celebrated contemporary artistic achievement in religious settings. \n\r\nThe design of the font recalls the Greek word for fish, <i>ichthys</i>, whose letters represent the words for ‘Jesus Christ God’s Son Saviour’. The early Christians used the fish image to communicate their baptismal creed. It appears in the 1st-century catacombs in Rome and still has a special significance for many Christians today.","physicalDescription":"Baptismal font of optical glass with fish forms embedded in the glass; blackened oak plinth.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Reid, Colin","id":"A882"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Partridge, Jim","id":"A14325"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"plinth"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"optical glass","id":"AAT10877"},{"text":"oak","id":"AAT12264"}],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"},{"text":"polishing","id":"AAT53867"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Optical glass, cast and polished; wood (oak)","categories":[{"text":"Glass","id":"THES48946"},{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"CER","id":"THES48594"},"images":["2006AA3694","2006AA6231","2006AA3740","2006AA6248","2006AA6249","2006AA6232"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"83","id":"THES49711"},"free":"","case":"PL1","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"83","id":"THES49711"},"free":"","case":"PL1","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"font","id":""}],[{"text":"plinth","id":"AAT1749"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Stroud","id":"x33478"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"plinth"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2004-2005","earliest":"2004-01-01","latest":"2005-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Revd. Richard McLaren in memory of his great-great-aunt, Gertrude Jekyll","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"15","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"50","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"50","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"100","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"05/10/2012","earliest":"2012-10-05","latest":"2012-10-05"},"part":"overall glass font on wood plinth at rear","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"90.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"05/10/2012","earliest":"2012-10-05","latest":"2012-10-05"},"part":"overall glass font on wood plinth taken at front","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"60","unit":"kg","qualifier":"taken from previous condition reports","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"glass only","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"53.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"05/10/2012","earliest":"2012-10-05","latest":"2012-10-05"},"part":"greatest, font on plinth","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"53.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"05/10/2012","earliest":"2012-10-05","latest":"2012-10-05"},"part":"greatest, font on plinth","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"82","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plinth","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"36.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plinth","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"36.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plinth","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This font was commissioned by the Art and Christianity Enquiry Trust as the prize for an awards scheme for Art in a Religious Context that they initiated in 2003. It sits on a plinth designed by Jim Partridge.\n\nHistorical significance: The design of the font recalls the Greek word for fish,' ichthys', whose letters represent the words for 'Jesus Christ God's Son Saviour'. The early Christians used the fish image to communicate their baptismal creed. It appears in the 1st-century catacombs in Rome and is still a potent sign of Christian faith today.\n\nThe donor, former Chair of the Art and Christianity Enquiry Trust, is great-great-nephew of the famous garden designer, Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932). Though he never knew her, he wanted to dedicate his gift to her memory. In 1861, Jekyll, a keen painter, began studies at the Normal Training School of Art, South Kensington. This was the precursor of today's Royal College of Art and as such, inextricably linked to the history of the V&amp;A. She was interested in the science of colour and optics and carried this through to her garden designing later on. She attended lectures at the School of Art by John Ruskin, William Morris, Richard Dresser and Richard Redgrave.","historicalContext":"Colin Reid wrote in 2004: 'If I were to identify a single thread that runs through my work it would be the influence of nature. My current interest is in natural materials that have been worked by craftsmen's hands in the past and are eroding and reverting to nature. The medieval stone carving high on Gloucester Cathedral is being restored and the stone-masons have erected scaffolding giving access to normally inaccessible stonework. This I have cast and used as the starting point for new works'.\n","briefDescription":"Cast and polished optical glass font with fish inclusions, Colin Reid, 2004-05 and blackened oak plinth, Jim Partridge, 2004-05.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Clare Beck and Kathleen Slater (eds.), Colin Reid: glass sculpture, Farnham 2013, pp. 120-121, Ichthys illustrated, including silicone cast of fish used for this sculpture. "}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Icthys’ Font\r\nThe design of this font recalls the Greek word for fish,\r\nicthys, whose letters represent the words for ‘Jesus\r\nChrist God’s Son Saviour’. The early Christians used\r\nthe fish image to communicate their baptismal creed.\r\nIt appears in the 1st-century catacombs in Rome and\r\nstill has a special significance for many Christians today.\r\nThe font by Colin Reid and oak plinth by Jim Partridge\r\nwere commissioned by the donor to serve as a prize\r\nunder the V&A/Art and Christianity Enquiry Trust\r\n(ACE) collaborative award scheme (2005–2016) for\r\nthe ACE Award for Art in a Religious Context. ACE\r\npromotes understanding of the links between\r\nreligion and the visual arts.\r\nLondon, England, 2004–05; the glass by Colin Reid\r\n(born 1953); the plinth by Jim Partridge (born 1953)\r\nCast and polished optical glass; blackened oak\r\nMuseum nos. C.409:1, 2-2017\r\nGiven by Reverend Richard McLaren in memory of his\r\ngreat-great-aunt, Gertrude Jekyll","date":{"text":"18/08/2017","earliest":"2017-08-18","latest":"2017-08-18"}},{"text":"‘Ichthys’ Font\r\nThis font by Colin Reid is the prize for a biennial awards scheme for Art in a Religious Context, initiated by the Art and Christianity Enquiry Trust (ACE) in 2003. Another prize for Religious Architecture, in the form of a stained glass panel by Graham Jones, is also displayed in the V&A’s gallery of Sacred Silver and Stained Glass. ACE promotes understanding of the links between religion and the visual arts. Together, the prizes celebrate contemporary artistic achievement in religious settings. They are shown in the V&A, but loaned for temporary display in the award winners’ own sacred space every two years.\r\n\r\nThe design of the font recalls the Greek word for fish, 'icthys', whose letters represent the words for ‘Jesus Christ God’s Son Saviour’. The early Christians used the fish image to communicate their baptismal creed. It appears in the 1st-century catacombs in Rome and is still a potent sign of Christian faith today.\r\nLondon, England, 2004–5; the glass by Colin Reid\r\n(born 1953); the plinth by Jim Partridge (born 1953)\r\nOptical glass and blackened oak\r\nOn loan from the Art and Christianity Enquiry Trust; commissioned\r\nfor the ACE award for an Artwork in Ecclesiastical Space","date":{"text":"22/11/2005","earliest":"2005-11-22","latest":"2005-11-22"}}],"partNumbers":["C.409:1-2017","C.409:2-2017"],"accessionNumberNum":"409","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":2017,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"unique","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2016JE3423","2023NN3175"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-15","recordCreationDate":"2005-09-27","availableToBook":false}}