Posted in: Designer Spotlights, Jewelry History
It's easy to imagine this beautiful brooch as part of a girdle made by May Morris during the late Victorian period. Photo copyright EraGem.
A lovely girdle, decorated with semi-precious stones (see image here) was designed by Mary “May” Morris, daughter of William Morris (1834-1896). Girdles served as belts worn across the midsection of a woman’s dress. Fashioned after the medieval renaissance style, this elegant ornament is made entirely of silver, hand crafted in the artisan style of the Arts & Crafts Movement, and set with freshwater pearls, chrysoprase (gemstone chalcedony), and garnets.
May Morris founded and presided over the Women’s Guild of Arts for 28 years. Her contribution to the arts remained steady and strong throughout her life. In fact, her legacy and work live on in her bequest to the Victoria & Albert Museum and the collections housed at Kelmscott house under the care of the William Morris Society. You can see her contribution in person at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Miss Morris was an artist through and through. She dedicated her life to the advancement of women in the trades of craftsmen and artisans. She inspired her listeners to reach deeper to find the passion within them to create one-of-a-kind pieces with the attention to detail characteristic of medieval days.
Though she is most famous for her embroidery, she was also a jewelry designer, an authoress, a lecturer, and an editor. She represents true royalty, standing strong and firm as an advocate for some of the finest art and jewelry practices of the late 19th century.
~Angela Magnotti Andrews
11 years ago
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