Studio: international art (22.1901)

Nelson and Edith Dawson

manship. To this cause
is due what will always
be accounted one of the
specially excellent qualities
of his work—a consistent
harmony of design and
execution in which the
material always holds an
honourable place. The
modern ''trade" jeweller,
for instance, is as a rule
ashamed of his gold. His
only object seems to be to
display great clusters of
brilliant gems of painfully
perfect quality held together
anyhow by a metal of which
the price is the one re-
commendation in his eyes.
But in Mr. Dawson's rings
and pendants, the beautiful
metal which frames his
jewels or enamels is always
treated with conspicuous
dignity as a worthy element
in the composition; and it
"kipi.ing posy casket" sy nelson and edith dawson repays the craftsman ac-

cordingly. Moreover, Mr.
Dawson is a good colourist

discussion of the work ot one of the ablest ex- —too good to restrict himself to the faultlessly
ponents of the new methods, Mr. Nelson Dawson, perfect, faceted stones in which alone the heart
At the outset it is necessary perhaps to remark of the trade jeweller delights. There are
that the movement has as yet received little sup- artistic beauties in broken colour; and in
port from the ranks of working jewellers and burnished gems which often—indeed, almost
goldsmiths. Most of its practitioners were trained always—give a finer result than the more costly
in the first place to one branch or another of the and formal productions of the lapidary. So that
Fine Arts. Mr. Dawson made a not inconsider- it is a notable characteristic of Mr. Dawson's
able reputation as a painter in water-colours, and jewellery that his gems are by no means always
the recent exhibition of his work held by the Fine of the highest trade standard; indeed, that they
Art Society in Bond Street shows that he has by are often deliberately selected from a point of
no means lost his skill in this branch of art. But view which the merchant seems most curiously to
about fifteen years ago he first turned his attention despise—that of beauty.

to working in the base and precious metals, and His use of enamels, again, has an individuality
hitherto has had little cause to regret the change, which is worthy of remark. This material has too
It is with his achievement as a goldsmith, jeweller, often tempted its users into what one feels impelled
and enameller that I have now to deal. t0 call almost a misuse of it. The brilliancy of

It is fortunate, seeing that he is a designer ot cobur, and the fascination—even the uncertainty
great taste and fertility, that he came to this work —of the process of producing it, has induced most
unhampered by the traditions of any school or enamellers to strive after pictorial effects, with
ornament, and with no more historical equipment quite unsatisfactory results. Enamel can rarely
than was due to the general course of study avai - be used as a pigment; its limits are too severe,
able in his day for the students at South Kensington. But as a gem, a frank acceptance of its splendid
He has had to acquire for himself his technique, qualities always produces good results. The cunning
and develop his patterns as his skill grew in work artificer is able, working in this material, to com-

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