Description
Item Overview
Up for sale is a magnificent, exhibition-scale antique Arts & Crafts copper charger / wall plaque produced by the renowned Keswick School of Industrial Arts (KSIA) in Cumberland, England, dating to circa 1900. This substantial piece features masterful, entirely hand-beaten repoussé and chased decoration displaying a stylized William Morris inspired botanical scene of flowing tulips and a central rosette medallion, bordered beautifully by a running wave-form scroll rim.
Measurements & Specifications
- Total Diameter: 50 cm (Approx. 20 Inches)
- Total Weight: 1,620 grams (1.62 kg / Heavy, premium gauge sheet quality)
- Material: 100% Solid Copper
- Origin: Keswick, Cumbria, England.
- Era: Late Victorian / Edwardian Arts & Crafts Movement (Circa 1900)
Key Features & Details
- Master Metalwork: Entirely hand-wrought using traditional repoussé techniques, creating rich, deep three-dimensional textures and visible hand-chasing tool marks across the face.
- Integrated Wall Hanging Loop: Features an authentic, original soldered copper bracket and heavy wire assembly on the reverse, making it perfectly ready to hang immediately as gallery art.
- Untouched Patina: Boasts a spectacular, deep cinnamon-copper face with a richly oxidized dark chocolate reverse, accented by natural green verdigris highlights along the rim crevices.
Condition:
- Overall State: Excellent antique condition. The copper has aged beautifully with a uniform, historic color tone and very minor surface scuffs consistent with a genuine over 125-year-old piece.
- Structure: The wide rim is flat and structurally sound. The copper is free from severe warping, splits, deep dents, or puncture holes.
- Reverse Side: The original rear hanging wire is completely intact and securely soldered to the plate body.
(Please study all images carefully to fully appreciate the exceptional handcrafting and historic scale of this exhibition piece).
Historical Context & Collector Notes
This masterwork dates precisely to the height of the Arts & Crafts Movement (circa 1895–1905) and stands as a prime example of the work produced at the Keswick School of Industrial Arts (KSIA).
Founded in 1884 by the prominent social reformer Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley and his wife Edith, the school was established in the English Lake District to provide rural Cumbrian workers with creative metalworking skills during the quiet winter farming months. The school quickly became globally recognized for its high-quality hand-beaten holloware and decorative metal panels.
The design on this specific platter heavily reflects the influence of William Morris's textile designs, favoring elegant, stylized English garden flora like tulips and scrolling leaves over industrial, geometric shapes. KSIA pieces of this grand 50 cm exhibition scale were highly premium luxury items, designed to sit above grand oak mantels in prestigious Edwardian homes to catch the glowing light of a fireplace.