{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O77486"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O77486/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM2744/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM2744/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM2744","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM1899","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB7943","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O77486/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O77486","accessionNumber":"232-1854","objectType":"Tray","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>In the 19th century large numbers of trays were produced with fashionable designs, such as the Islamic style decoration on this example. It illustrates the skill of artists and craftsmen in interpreting fashionable styles for a domestic object. The decoration is carefully designed to allow some of the detail to be visible even when the tray is in use.<br><br><b>People</b><br>Jennens & Bettridge, the firm run by Theodore Hyla Jennens and John Bettridge between 1816 and 1864, was famous for the range of papier-mâché goods manufactured in its factory at 99 Constitution Hill, Birmingham, West Midlands. They also had premises at 6 Halkin Street West, Belgrave Square, London. The firm produced a range of products including writing boxes, trays, fans, and larger pieces of furniture such as chairs, tables and sofas. The bottom of this tray is stamped with the firm's name.<br><br><b>Materials & Making</b><br>Papier-mâché was made by pasting layers of paper over moulds of the required shape, a job mainly done by women and girls. The object was then oiled and baked at very high temperatures. The shape of this tray would have been finished by a cabinet-maker before it was varnished and dried in a stove. The mother-of-pearl was applied before the painted decoration, which was followed by a final coat of varnish, further stove drying, and polishing.","physicalDescription":"A large tray of papier-mâché, with shaped sides, of the pattern known by the makers as 'king-gothic', japanned on a black ground with Persian style ornament, the edges showing scrolling plants and flowers, the ground covered overll with a gilded trellis pattern set with five shaped reserves with more elaborate floral and scrolling decoration.  The decoration is highlighted in places with inlays of mother-of-pearl. ","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Jennens and Bettridge","id":"A9140"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Papier-mâché","id":"AAT14245"},{"text":"mother-of-pearl","id":"AAT11835"}],"techniques":[{"text":"inlay (process)","id":"AAT53850"},{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"},{"text":"japanning","id":"AAT53797"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Papier-mâché, japanned and gilded, with appliqué of mother-of-pearl","categories":[{"text":"Tableware & cutlery","id":"THES48888"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AM2744","2006AM1899","2017KB7943"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"125C (VA)","id":"THES49896"},"free":"","case":"CA3","shelf":"","box":"11"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Tray","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Birmingham","id":"x28748"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1850","earliest":"1845-01-01","latest":"1854-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"64.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"48","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Stamped Jennens & Bettridge below a crown on the back","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":"A8877"},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Manufactured by Jennens & Bettridge, Birmingham","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Papier mâché tray manufactured by Jennens & Bettridge. Birmingham, ca. 1850.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jones, Yvonne, <i>Japanned Papier-Mâché and Tinware c. 1740-1940</i>.  Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 2012 (ISBN 978 1 85149 686 0), p. 159, fig. 157"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"The following excerpt is taken from Jones, Yvonne, <i>Japanned Papier-Mâché and Tinware c. 1740-1940</i>.  Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 2012 (ISBN 978 1 85149 686 0), p. 144.\r\n\r\n\"The partnership between Aaron Jennens (1788-1868) and John Bettridge (b.1790) is one of the best known in the history of the English papier mâché industry.  It first appeared in the Birmingham Rate Book for the years 1810-13 when they occupied premises in Lionel Street, where one of their varnish suppliers, Messrs Thornley and Knight, was also situated.\r\n...\r\nBetween 1851 and 1852, when they were described as the largest manufacturers of papier mâché in England, they had an office in New York, possibly in anticipation of the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, held there in 1853.\r\nThough there is now a popular tendency for any unmarked yet good examples of Victorian papier mâché to be attributed to Jennens and Bettridge, there is no doubt that their reputation is justly deserved and of long standing; in their day, they were judged to have 'no rivals, or anything approximating to an equality' (Court, W.B., <i>Rise of the Midland Industries 1600-1838</i>, Oxford University Press, 1965, p.235).\""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"floral patterns","id":"AAT10135"},{"text":"basket-work (motif)","id":"x36601"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nThese pointed shapes and stylised flowers were based on Islamic designs, including carpets. This tray is  typical of the skill of artists and craftsmen employed by the prominent papier-mâché manufacturers, Jennens & Bettridge, who produced a wide range of goods in fashionable styles.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["232-1854"],"accessionNumberNum":"232","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1854,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN0607","2019LP3831","2019LV3306"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-27","availableToBook":false}}