Rare Sunflower Andirons now on display at The Hunterian
The Hunterian is now home to a pair of exceptionally rare gilded brass andirons designed by English architect and designer Thomas Jeckyll.
The Sunflower Andirons are now on display in the Hunterian Art Gallery. They were purchased by The Hunterian with support from the Alexander and Margaret Johnstone Endowment fund, the Art Fund, the Monument Trust, National Fund for Acquisitions and the Iris Foundation, New York.
Described as ‘one of the most important creations of Anglo-Japanese metalwork*’ the Sunflower Andirons, or metal holders for fireplace logs, are of great significance because of their artistic importance, rarity and relevance to The Hunterian collections.
The distinctive pair were designed by Thomas Jeckyll in c. 1876 and are considered to be a masterpiece of the art of wrought-iron and cast-iron metal work. Their distinctive sunflower design is also widely accepted as an icon of the English Aesthetic Movement.
Examples are extremely rare and this set is one of the finest surviving pairs. They are the only known pair made in the higher quality medium of brass and the only pair in a public collection outside North America.
The Sunflower Andirons have direct links with the American-born artist James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) and his outstanding work of art, the interior, Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room, for which The Hunterian owns the impressive cartoon, The Fighting Peacocks.
They have been incorporated into The Hunterian’s permanent Whistler display alongside key works such as the Peacock Cartoon, Butterfly Cabinet and Screen with Old Battersea Bridge, providing a new focus for research and teaching.
Director of The Hunterian, Professor David Gaimster, said:
‘We are delighted to add these extremely rare items to The Hunterian collections. The Sunflower Andirons are particularly significant because of their links to Whistler and the Aesthetic Movement. I am grateful to the Alexander and Margaret Johnstone Endowment fund, the Art Fund, the Monument Trust, National Fund for Acquisitions and the Iris Foundation, New York, for their support in securing them.’
The Hunterian Art Gallery is open from Tuesday – Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm and Sunday 11.00am – 4.00pm. Admission free. Admission charge for The Mackintosh House and some exhibitions.
*Quote from In Pursuit of Beauty: Americans and the Aesthetic Movement, Metropolitan Museum and Rizzoli, New York, 1986.
Hunterian Art Gallery
University of Glasgow
82 Hillhead Street
Glasgow G12 8QQ
For further information or images contact:
Harriet Gaston, Communications Manager, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow
Notes to Editors
Object details:
Sunflower Andirons, c. 1876
Designer: Thomas Jeckyll (1827–1881)
Maker: Barnard, Bishop and Barnards, Norwich
Gilded brass and iron
82.5 x 27.5 x 52.0 cm
The Hunterian
The Hunterian is one of the world's leading University museums and one of Scotland’s greatest cultural assets. Built on Dr William Hunter’s founding bequest, The Hunterian collections include scientific instruments used by James Watt, Joseph Lister and Lord Kelvin; outstanding Roman artefacts from the Antonine Wall; major natural and life sciences holdings; Hunter’s own extensive anatomical teaching collection; one of the world’s greatest numismatic collections and impressive ethnographic objects from Captain Cook’s Pacific voyages.
The Hunterian is also home to one of the most distinguished public art collections in Scotland and features the world’s largest permanent display of the work of James McNeill Whistler, the largest single holding of the work of Scottish artist, architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868–1928) and The Mackintosh House, the reassembled interiors from his Glasgow home.
About Art Fund
Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for art. In the past five years alone Art Fund has given £34 million to help museums and galleries acquire works of art for their collections. It also helps museums share their collections with wider audiences by supporting a range of tours and exhibitions, and makes additional grants to support the training and professional development of curators. Art Fund is independently funded, with the core of its income provided by 122,000 members who receive the National Art Pass and enjoy free entry to over 240 museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, as well as 50% off entry to major exhibitions and subscription to Art Quarterly magazine. In addition to grant-giving, Art Fund’s support for museums includes Art Fund Museum of the Year (won by the V&A, London, in 2016) and a range of digital platforms.
www.artfund.org
First published: 6 October 2016