© Victoria and Albert Museum
The Melchett Fire Basket
Artist: Charles Sargeant Jagger (1885 - 1934)
Location: Victoria and Albert Museum
Date: 1930
Materials: cast iron
Dimensions: 91.5 x 75.5 x 33cm
Grant:
Amount Paid: £25,000 (Total: £66,000)
Vendor: Sotheby's
Review number: 5594 (2005)
Export Stopped
Provenance:
Commissioned by Henry and Gwen Mond, Lord and Lady Melchett; by descent in the Melchett family until 1982; ....
Description:
The fire basket formed an integral part of an opulent interior designed for Mulberry House, the Melchett's home. It related directly to the relief 'Scandal' that hung above the fireplace, a humourous reference to the couples earlier 'menage à trois' with a writer. At the back of the fire basket, two snarling cats are depicted hiding behind female masks to signify the 'double face' and 'cattiness' of society gossip. In the centre is a macaw, a satire on the idea of 'parroting' phrases without thought for content or meaning.
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