A repousse brass tray attributed to the Christchurch Class, Hants, circa 1900.

The Christchurch Class is a little known art metalwork class that came under the umbrella of the Home Arts and Industries Association. The class was organised by a Miss Druitt and held at the Red House in Christchurch which is now a public museum. Christchurch is on the Hampshire and Dorset border. I found out about this class while researching over the winter and finding a few pieces by the Class has given me a reason to write a short article which you can find in the News section:

News-17

This particular tray is very typical of their work with symmetrical patterns of foliage in light repousse against a finely hammered background. Another feature of the class’s work is the pronounced repousse circles around the edges of their trays and chargers.