A really nice set of three repousse copper jardineres firmly attributed to a design by Mary Williams, circa 1900.

The three jardineres are each decorated on all six sides with a near identical repousse flower pattern. The repousse work is of the highest standard. One jardiniere is larger than the other two with the two smaller ones very similar in size to each other.

This rather special set of jardineres came with a number of superb pieces which I have researched thoroughly. The jardineres are believed to have been made by either Mary Williams herself or Charles Harmer who was based in Islington, London. Charles Harmer ran a plate metalwork firm in Islington. The family that sold the pieces were related to Charles Harmer. They kindly contacted a foreman who had worked at the firm for over 50 years. He remembered that there was a lady called “Miss Williams” who rented a basement in one of the firms buildings. Miss Williams was an artist and she produced the designs that were then either commissioned by the Harmer family or made by Charles Harmer and his son, also Charles Harmer, between 1890 and the early 1920s. This information, combined with the style of the designs, allows for a firm attribution to Mary Williams.

The six sided design of these planters also matches closely with other documented designs by Mary Williams from the period. The image shown is from The Queen newspaper in February of 1899.

Much more of this story can be found in the following article in the News section… News 15