De forme octogonale, les panneaux appliqués de galuchat sur âme en bois, les montures en argent mouluré, le couvercle à charnière en cloche avec prise en urne, l’intérieur appliqué de zinc, poinçons sur le bord intérieur de la boîte, du couvercle, et sur le dessous : ville, titre, lettre-date (S) et orfèvre
H. 18 cm (7¹⁄₈ in.)

Vente Christie's, Londres, South Kensington, 9 avril 2003, lot 484.

Judy Rudoe, Decorative Arts, 1850-1950, A Catalogue of the British Museum Collection, British Museum Press, 1991.
Rosemary Ransome Wallis, Treasures of the 20th Century; Silver, Jewellery and Art Medals from the 20th Century Collection of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, The Goldsmiths' Company 2000.

A GEORGE V SILVER AND SHAGREEN TEA CADDY, MARK OF GEORGE HENRY HART, GUILD OF HANDICRAFT, LONDON, 1913
Of octagonal form, the cover with urn finial, zinc lined interior, marked on base, cover and foot rims

The Guild of Handicraft was established in 1888 by the Arts & Crafts architect Charles Robert Ashbee (1863-1942). Modelled as an old-fashioned cooperative, it was a community of artists and craftsment who focused on handmade pieces refusing modern machinery. Georges Hart (1882-1973) was one of the later recruits to the Guild of Handicraft, before its liquidation in 1907. Despite this he took over the metal workshops and continued to operate under the Guild's name, changing his hallmark to G of H stamp loosing the Ltd.
The guild was originally based in the East End of London, before Hart moved them to the picture-perfect village of Chipping Camden, where he hoped to build an utopian society, based on the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement. Unfortunately, the Guild was unable to compete with cheaper manufactured goods, such as those mass produced for Liberty & Co.
This tea caddy was made as Hart was flourishing. Records of 1914 reveal that he employed three assistants in his pre-war workshop. This lot embodies the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement: a simple form combined with intricate detail which demonstrate the technical skill of a craftsman together with a sense of design. Interestingly, the use of shagreen makes this a particularly contemporary piece.
During the onslaught of World War One Hart was forced to concentrate on farming, but by the 1920's he re-established himself as a silversmith, specialising in ecclesiastical and presentation ware.

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Lot Essay

La Guild of Handicraft fut établie en 1888 par l’architecte Arts & Crafts, Charles Robert Ashbee (1863-1942) et regroupait au sein d’une coopérative des artistes et artisans qui fabriquaient tout a la main refusant les machines modernes.
Georges Hart (1882-1973) fut l'une des dernières recrues de la Guild of Handicraft, avant sa liquidation en 1907. Néanmoins iI reprit les ateliers et continua à opérer sous le nom de la guilde, en modifiant son poinçon en G of H.
La guilde était basée à l'origine dans l'East End de Londres avant de s'installer à Chipping Camden. Hart dirigeait son équipe dans les principes de fabrication et les valeurs du Arts and Crafts. Malheureusement, la Guilde était incapable de rivaliser avec des produits industriels moins chers, tels que ceux produits en masse pour Liberty & Co.

Cette boîte à thé incarne les idéaux du mouvement Arts and Crafts en combinant une forme pure, fabriquée manuellement tout en intégrant un matériau très moderne, le galuchat.

Pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, Hart fut contraint de se concentrer sur l'agriculture, mais dans les années 1920, il repris son activité d'orfèvre, spécialisé dans les articles ecclésiastiques et de présentation.