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| Illustration by the author. |
The Encyclopaedia of Geography (1834) highlighted the main trades of Birmingham as ‘pins, buttons, nails, paper trays [probably japanned papier-mâché tea trays], filigree, and toys’.*1* All of these are well-known Birmingham trades dating back to, at least, the eighteenth century, but filigree stands out because it does not have the same association with Birmingham as the other trades.
The manufacture of filigree used flattened, usually silver, wire soldered to form decorative and delicate patterns, usually in the making of jewellery and small boxes. These small filigree items were popular in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and many examples survive. Silver filigree, though, was not required to be marked so its place of production can be uncertain. Yet, there is evidence to support The Encyclopaedia of Geography that filigree was, indeed, a prominent Birmingham trade.
Early Filigree
When, in 1774, Thomas Percival was researching how lead could poison those working with it, he visited the filigree workers who used a lead-based solder at Matthew Boulton's Soho manufactory. One of the artisans stated that he had been making silver filigree for thirty-five years, so, since about 1739 at least.*2* This was several decades before Soho opened in the late 1760s. It is difficult to trace filigree manufacture at this early date, in part because artisans making such items during this period were called jewellers or "toymakers", the word "toy" being the generic term for all small adornments.
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| Base of an eighteenth-century filigree counter box, showing the intricate design. Private collection. |
Filigree at Soho
Soho was Birmingham's largest manufactory of the mid 1700s (although at that time it was just outside of Birmingham, in Handsworth). As well as utilising division of labour and new technologies, Soho also employed skilled artisans to hand make goods. Filigree was among these goods, and when a visitor, Dorothy Richardson, toured Soho in 1770 she described 'several tooth pick cases of the finest silver filigree I ever saw'.*3* These were probably similar to the two toothpick cases below.
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| Silver filigree toothpick case, c. 1780 (8.5cm). Put on sale at Sotheby's in 2017. |
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| Silver filigree toothpick case, c. 1780 (9.2cm). Put on sale at Sotheby's in 2017. |
These two toothpick cases are almost certainly of Soho origin because the designs are so similar to those described in surviving Soho bills. In February 1770, for example, Boulton wrote from London for Soho to send: ‘a doz or two of ye filligree oval Boxes wᵗʰ ye wheat sheaf trophy inlᵈ in Tortoiseshell some mounted wᵗʰ Gold lip & joynt, others in Gilt mounts'.*4* This is similar to the box second box, above, which is set with decorative hair-work. In 1779 Thomas and Theophilus Richards, who ran a local toyshop, bought a 'Silver Filigree Shuttle Toothpick Case with Wheat Sheaf' at 29/ from Soho.*5a* This case was probably similar to the first one, above, which is closest to a shuttle shape (also known as a navette shape) and set with a wheatsheaf on ivory.
The Richards family made their own toys, and Thomas particularly worked in filigree, but they also topped up their stock by buying articles from Soho. As well as the toothpick case, these included 'Gilt Filligree' handkerchief and neck-cloth slides at a range of prices, and several gilt and silver 'Filligree Thimble & Smelling Bottle[s]' ranging from 4/6d to 15/ each.*5b* An inventory of Soho's stock in 1782 also recorded filigree smelling bottles, thimbles, handkerchief pins, purse runners, buckles, tea measures, toothpick cases and money boxes.*6*
The 'Filligree Thimble & Smelling Bottle' was probably similar to the example below, which provided a ready supply of perfume or smelling salts to hand whilst sewing. Other thimbles included a tape measure, which can be seen below again.
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| Simple filigree thimble and smelling bottle, c. 1785. Private collection. |
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| Filigree thimble, tape measure and smelling bottle, c. 1790. Private collection. |
The 'tea measures' noted at Soho were probably caddy spoons, which were used to scoop tea leaves, such as these examples by Samuel Pemberton.
See all filigree objects in the museum: here.
NOTES
*1* Hugh Murray, The Encyclopaedia of Geography (London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, 1834), p. 410.
*2* Thomas Percival, Observations and Experiments on the Poison of Lead (London: J. Johnson, 1774), pp. 76-77.
*3* The diary of Dorothy Richardson, quoted in: Nicholas Goodison, Matthew Boulton: Ormulu (London: Christie’s, 2002), pp. 23-25.
*1* Hugh Murray, The Encyclopaedia of Geography (London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, 1834), p. 410.
*2* Thomas Percival, Observations and Experiments on the Poison of Lead (London: J. Johnson, 1774), pp. 76-77.
*3* The diary of Dorothy Richardson, quoted in: Nicholas Goodison, Matthew Boulton: Ormulu (London: Christie’s, 2002), pp. 23-25.
*4* Letter from Boulton to Soho, February 1770, WCAR, MS 3782/1/19.
*5a* Boulton & Fothergill daybook, 1779-1780, WCAR, MS 3782/1/6.*5b* Boulton & Fothergill daybook, 1779-1780, WCAR, MS 3782/1/6.
*6* Inventory of goods at Soho, 1782, WCAR, MS 3782/2/13.
*6* Inventory of goods at Soho, 1782, WCAR, MS 3782/2/13.
2020. All text belongs to the author. Jen recently completed her PhD at University of Birmingham.
2020