Item 417

An extremely well made bronze bowl with handles possibly dating to 1861 and made by a pupil studying the South Kensington School system.

The bowl is made very much in the style of the Birmingham Guild of Handicrafts with nicely detailed handles which are riveted to the body of the hand planished bowl. The simple pedestal base is also riveted to the body of the bowl. 

The history of this piece is literally all written on the underside of the bowl in ink. A possible date of 1861 and “Fisher Thomas, Age 16, Executed by the student”. I have not been able to find any more information on Fisher Thomas, or possibly, Thomas Fisher. Importantly the piece is stamped with the letters “E.S.K.” which tells us that he was a student following the South Kensington Art education system. “Examined in South Kensington” refers to the historic South Kensington system for art education in the United Kingdom, where artwork was stamped with “ESK” (Examined South Kensington) after being assessed by the art schools located at what is now the Victoria and Albert Museum. This system provided art training across the nation and the empire. Art pieces that passed the examination were marked with “ESK,” an abbreviation for “Examined South Kensington”. By the 1880s, the South Kensington Schools were the main examining bodies, and they later became the Royal College of Art after 1896.

A beautifully made piece with a fascinating history.