{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O94654"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O94654/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HX4681/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HX4681/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2015HX4681","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HR2581","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HX4686","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O94654","accessionNumber":"M.166-1978","objectType":"Jug","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This jug was the first V&A commission by Sir Roy Strong, who revived the practice of director's commissions initiated by Sir Henry Cole.\r\n\nGerald Benney CBE, RDI (1930-2008) was amongst the first students to benefit from Robert Goodden's teaching at the RCA. He established himself as one of the major silversmiths operating in Britain in the latter half of the 20th century. He held four Royal Warrants and executed many commissions for corporate and private clients world-wide.","physicalDescription":"Broad pear shaped body of silver, entirely covered in black enamel except for the lip, the foot and the collar.  The handle carved from a cross section of ivory tusk with an incised double line in the centre and set into the body of the jug with two silver collars.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Benney, Gerald (CBE, RDI)","id":"A7486"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Evans, Alan","id":"A10712"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"raising","id":"AAT237068"},{"text":"enamelling","id":"x37485"},{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"},{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silver, gilt interior, black enamel, carved ivory handle","categories":[{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[{"text":"Modernist","id":"AAT21474"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2015HX4681","2015HR2581","2015HX4686"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES405636"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Jug","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Beenham","id":"x39265"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"assayed","id":"x42656"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1978","earliest":"1978-01-01","latest":"1978-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"17•8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"23","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Sponsor's mark AGB for Gerald Benney, craftsman's mark of Alan Evans.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":"A8728"},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"London hallmarks for 1978","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 jug was the first V&A commission by Sir Roy Strong, who revived the practice of director's commissions initiated by Sir Henry Cole.\r\n\nGerald Benney was amongst the first students to benefit from Robert Goodden's teaching at the RCA. He then established himself as one of the major silversmiths operating in Britain in the second half of the 20th century. He held four Royal Warrants and executed many commissions for corporate and private clients world-wide.\r\n\r\nAccording to Professor Benney, the body of the jug represented the largest area of silver that had ever been enamelled in his workshop and he therefore consulted with chemists Blythe Colours Ltd, Cresswell, Stoke on Trent, a subsidiary, Johnson Matthey, who produced a black lead enamel with a low melting temperature of 760 degrees centigrade for the purpose.  At the first attempt, the enamel cracked, at the second it adhered but the craftsman accidentally dropped the jug.  The third attempt was successful.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver, enamel and carved ivory, London hallmarks for 1978, mark of Gerald Benney","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Turner, Eric, <u>An Introductiopn to English Silver from 1660</u>, London, HMSO, 1985. p.44. ill."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.166-1978"],"accessionNumberNum":"166","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1978,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2017JU7348"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-10","recordCreationDate":"2004-03-03","availableToBook":true}}