Fig. 181.—Silver Table at Windsor Castle.
About 1750 the forms in silver work partook, in many instances, of the prevailing fashion in the chinaware of that date, though without the extravagance in the decoration. From 1770, and for about ten years later, the designs became more attenuated, and were peculiar in having the dividing lines of the design composed of fillets of beads (Figs. 185 and 187). The beaded style of silversmiths’ work and in all metal work, pottery, and furniture of this period was due to the development of classic design that took place in France and in England consequent on the discovery of the buried city of Pompeii in 1770.
The brothers Adam in England designed a good deal of silversmiths’ work, of which the three illustrations given are examples of their style. Light wreaths, medallions, fillets of beads, festoons, masks, feet and legs of animals composed the decoration of the Adams’ style.
The brothers John and Robert Adam had travelled in Italy, and had brought with them pronounced classic ideas which not only influenced their own and other contemporary work in architecture and furniture designs, but in silversmiths’ work also their influence was widely felt (Fig. 188).
Fig. 182.—Wine Fountain; 1710. (C.)
In France the classic ideas were also very prevalent about this period in silversmiths’ work. The “Louis-Seize” candlestick (Fig. 189) is one of a pair from the Jones Collection in the South Kensington Museum, and is an admirable example of the style; though it is said to have been made at Turin in Italy in 1783, it is certainly of French design. It has the square base so peculiar to French work of this period, with the wreaths and medallions so characteristic of the style in question, that of Louis XVI.
Fig. 183.—Candelabrum, Haberdashers’ Hall, London. (C.)