A rather special copper tankard made by the Fivemiletown Class to a design by Mary Williams, circa 1900.

This is likely an exhibition piece as it is large and impressive. The quality of the repousse work is excellent. I would have described this as a twin handled vase but the same design, albeit with different handles, was illustrated in The Studio periodical in 1899 where it was described as a tankard.

Mary Williams was a talented metalworker and, like her brother John, also spent time teaching at the Fivemiletown Class in Ireland during the 1890s. Both Mary and John also provided designs for the Class and this is one of the rare documented designs produced by Mary.

This piece is beautifully made with a repeating repousse design of leaves and flowers very typical of the work of both Mary and John. The patina is superb and the overall condition is excellent considering the age of the piece and the fact that it was used as a stick holder for much of its life. There are one or two small dings, the largest of which can be seen in the images but none of these detract from this amazing piece of Arts and Crafts history.`