A Bromsgrove Guild composition stone herm
Early 20th century
Marked in relief to base: Bromsgrove Guild / Worcestershire
Set on a concrete base
Bronze: 36" H x 8.5" W x 9" D; Overall: 40" H x 19" W x 13.5" D, irregular

Provenance:
The Estate of Joanna Carson

Other Notes:
The Bromsgrove Guild of Applied Arts was established in 1898 by sculptor Walter Gilbert with an aim to promote high quality craftsmanship and develop a commercial enterprise whereby skilled craftsmen could find well-paid work. Composed of modern artists and designers associated with the Arts & Crafts Movement, the company began producing decorative ironwork, but the business soon expanded to incorporate bronze and lead foundries, as well as wood and stone carving studios. As the Guild grew, its membership encompassed artisans that created stained and leaded glass, embroidery, jewelry, and enameled metalworks.

The Guild's most famous commission, the iron and bronze gates located outside Buckingham Palace, resulted in a Royal Warrant appointing them metal workers to Edward VII and later, George V. Other commissions followed including a contract with the shipping company Cunard to create the ornate metalwork on the Lusitania and the Queen Mary, and another contract for the city of Liverpool's famous Liver Birds that sit atop the clock towers of the Royal Liver Building. When not working on high profile projects, the firm produced large quantities of lead rainwater goods, garden statuary, fountains, sundials, wrought ironwork and bronze light fittings.

At its height, the Guild participated in the exhibitions of the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society in London in 1899, 1903, 1906, 1910, 1912 and the 1900 Paris Exposition where it was awarded nine medals.

The reputation of the Guild continued to grow until the onset of the Second World War. After the war the Guild was still receiving commissions, but the austerity of that period resulted in the closure in 1966.

The base with irregular shape at underside. With soiling, staining, weathering, and scuffs and scratches commensurate with age and outdoor use.
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