KATE HARRIS (1878-1949) FOR G. L. CONNELL LTD., LONDON RARE CUP & COVER, LONDON 1902

KATE HARRIS (1878-1949) FOR G. L. CONNELL LTD., LONDON RARE CUP & COVER, LONDON 1902 silver, inscribed under base CONNELL/ 83 CHEAPSIDE LONDON, stamped maker's mark, hallmarked London 1902 (27.5cm high, weight: 15oz) Note: Kate, or Katie, Harris, is broadly considered one of the most important designers for the London-based firm, William Hutton & Sons. From 1899 to around 1905, she produced exquisite designs for artistic silver. We are pleased to offer this wonderful selection of pieces, which demonstrate the exquisite breadth of work she produced for the firm, and which is still very much sought-after by collectors. Sinuous botanical motifs and enchanting organic forms dominate her work, serving both a decorative and structural purpose for the piece itself. Perhaps Harris’ best-known designs, however, are those featuring a classically stylised figural form, typically austere in feeling and with fewer erotic overtones than Continental Art Nouveau counterparts. The skilled craftsmanship needed to bring these designs to life showcases the sheer elegance and simple beauty that is now synonymous with Harris’ work. The period between 1880 and 1914 offered fresh opportunities to women artists in training and employment, and there was a growing number of women artist-designers' names published in popular art magazines at the time. Harris gained critical acclaim after regularly featuring in The Studio Magazine; soon several companies began to retail her popular silverwares, including Goldsmiths and G. L. Connell. While Harris may have been one of Hutton & Sons brightest talents, it was commercial standard practice for designs to be attributed to the firm itself, and not the individual designer. As a consequence, even successful artists would remain largely anonymous and it became challenging, particularly for women, to forge a prosperous artistic career. Though her biography remains vague, her accomplishments in silverware design are continually recognised and reflected in the high prices her work commands in the art market today.