Arts and Crafts
A style of handcrafted artistic work from the late 19th to early 20th century
The Arts and Crafts movement originated in England in response to industrialization. Silver objects of this style are distinguished by honest handwork, restrained decoration, attention to form, and natural motifs: leaves, flowers, birds. Craftsmen boldly combined different materials—mother-of-pearl, enamel, or wood. The hallmark is the play of textures and the absence of identical serial products.
Each piece is unique, even tiny imperfections were turned into virtues! Firms like Liberty or the workshops of Charles Robert Ashbee are prized by collectors. Arts and Crafts silver is easy to recognize by its slightly "naive" beauty and visible hand technique—here the method of manufacture is not hidden but displayed.