{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1406775"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1406775/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NP8634/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NP8634/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NP8634","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8630","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8631","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP8633","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020ML6701","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1406775/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1406775","accessionNumber":"M.39:1 to 4-2018","objectType":"Tudor Glass with Coral Reef","titles":[{"title":"Tudor Glass with Coral Reef","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Tudor Glass Coral Reef is a contemporary interpretation of a type of a wunderkammer object that was found in European, 16th and 17th century cabinets of curiosities.\n\n<b>Artist’s statement</b>\r\n\r\nWhilst searching on eBay for metal detecting finds I found this hexagonal Tudor glass. I find the thought of 16th and 17th century ships, full of objects to trade all over the world, very poignant and  that one of them ended up with me is extraordinary. I want to celebrate these brave objects that have been through so much  history. Having come from a shipwreck, a coral reef lid seemed appropriate. The lid lifts off and the glass forms the box. The coral is  from a vintage necklace and we pieced it together, back to something like its original form. This technique was inspired by Ai Wei Wei's trees.\r\n\r\nThere are three or four parts to my work practice and ideas tend to cross between the different areas. Laura Ngyou and I had been working on a large ring which we chased from the back to form \"hillocks\" and then it was covered with pearls and diamonds etc. \tWe used the same methods to create the coral reef with the addition of 18 carat gold seaweed floating above it. The glass dome is antique but the base was made for it from London  Plane tree wood which has a very fine grain reminiscent of sand.\r\n\r\nMuch of my deep imagination is situated under the sea. I like the  way that the corals and barnacles encrust the surface of things. It's  a long process of build-up, a random design that looks completely  meant. The making of a box or a piece of jewellery takes time, the  placement of small elements doesn't need to be planned too much  but builds slowly to a whole.","physicalDescription":"Glass beaker, eight sided, capped by a silver lid with a band of silver, shaped to the rim of the glass beaker, the lid completely covered in minute silver discs, beads and studded with diamonds from which shards of gold are inserted;  in the centre branches of coral are fixed, decorated with bands of 18 carat gold.\r\nThe glass dome is antique and was bought by the artist on Ebay. The wooden base is made from London plane and was made to fit the dome. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Romilly Saumarez Smith","id":"AUTH324774"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Laura Ngyou","id":"AUTH348342"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Corallium rubrum","id":"THES269294"},{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"},{"text":"eighteen-carat gold","id":"AAT10973"},{"text":"cultured pearls","id":"x42349"},{"text":"diamond","id":"AAT11084"},{"text":"London plane","id":"AAT12351"}],"techniques":[{"text":"stone-setting","id":"x34787"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Glass, 18 carat gold, pearls and diamonds. London plane wood.","categories":[{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2023NP8634","2023NP8630","2023NP8631","2023NP8633","2020ML6701"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"66","id":"THES49733"},"free":"","case":"1","shelf":"2","box":""},{"current":{"text":"66","id":"THES49733"},"free":"","case":"1","shelf":"2","box":""},{"current":{"text":"66","id":"THES49733"},"free":"","case":"1","shelf":"2","box":""},{"current":{"text":"66","id":"THES49733"},"free":"","case":"1","shelf":"2","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Tudor Glass","id":""}],[{"text":"Coral Reef","id":"THES253844"}],[{"text":"Dome","id":"AAT1280"}],[{"text":"Base","id":"AAT237910"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x39722"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2016","earliest":"2016-01-01","latest":"2016-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x39722"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"14.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Part 1 & 2","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"12","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Part 1 & 2","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Part 1 & 2","note":"Excluding dome"},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"9.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Part 3","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"15","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Part 3","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"9.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Part 4","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"3.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Part 4","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The Tudor Glass, Coral Reef by Romilly Saumarez Smith was shortlisted for the  Woman's Hour Craft Prize, 2017.\r\n\r\nThe glass beaker was found and purchased via eBay.  The coral comes from a vintage necklace.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Tudor Glass with Coral Reef, glass, coral silver, 18 carat gold, pearls, diamonds  and a glass dome with wooden base, London, 2016, designed by Romilly Saumarez Smith and made by Laura Ngyou.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"branches (tree)","id":"x39097"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Tudor Glass with Coral Reef\r\nGlass, coral, silver, 18ct gold, pearls, diamonds, glass dome and London plane wood base\r\nRomilly Saumarez Smith\r\nLondon, 2016\r\nM.39:1-4-2018\r\n\r\nRomilly Saumarez Smith is fascinated by the stories contained in ‘found objects’ and she transforms her finds into delicate sculptures and jewellery. She spotted this hexagonal Tudor glass on eBay and has combined it with a piece of coral from a vintage necklace. The piece draws on her love of the deep sea and offers a modern interpretation of ‘wunderkammer’ or treasure objects collected for European cabinets of curiosities during the 16th century. \r\n","date":{"text":"12.12.23","earliest":"2023-12-12","latest":"2023-12-12"}}],"partNumbers":["M.39:1-2018","M.39:2-2018","M.39:3-2018","M.39:4-2018"],"accessionNumberNum":"39","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":2018,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-10","recordCreationDate":"2017-07-27","availableToBook":false}}