{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1518743"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1518743/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NA7856/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NA7856/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021NA7856","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NA7860","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NA7861","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1518743/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1518743","accessionNumber":"M.3:1 to 4-2020","objectType":"Bracelet","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"John Donald (1928-2023) had a transformative influence on British fine jewellery design of the 1960s and ‘70s, one of a handful of young, innovative goldsmiths who challenged convention and brought an alternative aesthetic to mainstream precious metals. \n\nFollowing National Service he enrolled at the Royal College of Art, London, graduating in 1955. In 1961 he set up his London workshop. British jewellery design had been slow to recover from wartime austerity, hindered considerably by the high rates of purchase tax which continued to be levied on new pieces (in 1968 when this prototype bracelet was made purchase tax was 55%). 1968 also marked the year John Donald established his shop with its basement workshop on Cheapside in the City of London, where he remained until 2005. \n\r\nThis prototype was one of many bracelet designs by John Donald around this time, made in silver-gilt but only available for purchase in gold. Their purpose was to demonstrate a particular design to customers, including retail jewellers, who might then order the design to be made up in gold. Its distinctive irregular openwork illustrates John Donald’s ability to see the decorative potential of the standardised tubes and rods in which precious metals were supplied as bullion. Both structure and pattern are created by repeatedly slicing across a rectangular tube of metal then joining the elements together.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Silver-gilt articulated bracelet, each rectangular panel an irregular geometric design of openwork squares. The box clasp fastens with a square catch","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"John Donald","id":"A36338"},"association":{"text":"designed and made by","id":"x28674"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Silver-gilt","id":"x37998"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Sections from square silver tubing soldered together to form the pattern, then gilded\r\n","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2021NA7856","2021NA7860","2021NA7861"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES407788"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES407788"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES407788"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES407788"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Bracelet","id":"THES250813"}],[{"text":"Case","id":"THES251008"}],[{"text":"Box","id":"x44081"}],[{"text":"Box","id":"x44081"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1968-69","earliest":"1968-01-01","latest":"1969-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by John Donald","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"188","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"bracelet","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"25","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"bracelet","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"6","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"bracelet clasp","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"unmarked","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"'John Donald / DESIGNER AND GOLDSMITH / 120 CHEAPSIDE EC2V 6DR / 0207-606-2675' on the lid satin of the case","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"This prototype was one of many bracelet designs by John Donald, made in silver-gilt but only available for purchase in gold. Its purpose was to demonstrate a particular design to customers including retail jewellers, who might  then order it in gold. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Prototype bracelet, silver-gilt, designed and made by John Donald, England 1968-9\n\nCase for bracelet of green imitation leather.\n\nOuter box for the bracelet case - cream cardboard and gold.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.3:1-2020","M.3:2-2020","M.3:3-2020","M.3:4-2020"],"accessionNumberNum":"3","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":2020,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-11","recordCreationDate":"2019-12-02","availableToBook":true}}