{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O127222"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127222/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6948/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6948/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BH6948","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O127222/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O127222","accessionNumber":"S.277-2006","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles.  His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.\r\n\r\n<i>Samson</i>, an oratorio by Handel (1743), was performed at Covent Garden in 1958 to commemorate the bicentenary of the composer’s death.  Critics found Messel’s designs too exuberant for the stark monumentality of Handel’s music ‘Oliver Messel’s pleasing though flimsy Tiepolo-like décor was conceived wholly in the vein of the relatively unimportant Delilah episode; something grander and sterner might have better suited the main action.’  (<i>Sunday Times</i>, 23 November 1958)\r\n\r\nMessel’s design for the high priest’s sceptre is based on a caduceus, a wand consisting of two twined serpents and wings carried by the Greek God Hermes, the messenger of the Gods and conductor of the dead.  Messel adds a macabre crowned skull to the sceptre.","physicalDescription":"A costume design by Oliver Messel for a priest's sceptre/caduceus in a Covent Garden Opera production of Samson, 1958.  A depiction of a staff from two angles.  The staff consists of two snakes intertwined, surmounted with monkey fur, a crowned skull and wings in gold.  The staff is also depicted in side view.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Charcoal, pencil, gouache, paint, watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006BH6948"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES356229"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1958","earliest":"1958-01-01","latest":"1958-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"37.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"25.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'For / High / Priest of / Dagon / sceptre / No 3'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Pencil inscription on the front of the sheet."},{"content":"'Monkey fur / brilliant gold'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Pencil inscription on the front of the sheet."},{"content":"'For / Priests. / of Dagon. / Sceptre no. 4'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Pencil inscription on the front of the sheet."},{"content":"'Oliver Messel'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Artist's signature in pencil on the front of the sheet."}],"objectHistory":"<i>Samson</i> (1743), an oratorio by Handel with libretto by Newburgh Hamilton from John Milton’s <i>Samson Agonistes</i> (1671).  Presented at the Royal Opera House, London by the Covent Garden Opera on 15 November, 1958, to celebrate the bicentenary of Handel’s death.  There were some performances at the Leeds Festival in October 1957.  It was directed by Hubert Graf with  choreography by Meriel Evans and featured Jon Vickers as Samson and Elisabeth Lindermeier as Dalila.  \r\nLord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts.  The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan.  The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005.\n\nHistorical significance: The first time this oratorio had been performed at Covent Garden.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Design by Oliver Messel for a priest's sceptre in Handel's oratorio <i>Samson</i>, Royal Opera House 1958.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Pinkham, Roger (ed.) <u>Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983.</u> \r\nLondon: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983.  200p., ill\r\nISBN 0905209508)"}],"production":"Reason For Production: Commission","productionType":{"text":"Design","id":"THES48872"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.277-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"277","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 2969"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-08-17","availableToBook":true}}