Displaying items by tag: goldsmith

There are only a few days left to catch the brilliant Albert Paley exhibition currently on view at Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The solo show, which runs through Saturday, June 13, features a stunning array of decorative arts objects by the renowned metal sculptor.

Based in Rochester, New York, Paley excels at transforming rigid, often unforgiving materials, such as iron and steel, into graceful and eloquent objects. A Philadelphia native, Paley began his nearly fifty-year career as a goldsmith, crafting...

Christie’s London will offer a Rococo coffee-pot by Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751), the most celebrated British silversmith of the 18^th century, as part of its Exceptional Sale on July 4, 2013. The George II silver coffee-pot, which was commissioned in 1738 by a wealthy London-based merchant, is expected to become the most valuable piece of English silver ever to be sold at auction. The masterpiece was recently the highlight of a British silver exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Lamerie, who began his career in 1703 as an apprentice to the London goldsmith, Pierre Platel (1659-1739), opened his own workshop in 1713 and was soon appointed goldsmith to George I. His work evolved from simple Queen Anne styles to classical French designs, but his ornate Rococo works of the 1730s are his most admired pieces. Lamerie’s illustrious clientele included Sir Robert Walpole, King John V of Portugal, and Queen Elizabeth II, who he made a wedding gift for.

The coffee-pot heading to auction in July is expected to garner approximately $4.5 million.