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Gold Silver Platinum Gemstones Amnesty What’s new?
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At Ascot, in 1996, Pentire, ridden by Geoff Wragg and owned by Mollers Racing, won The King George VI and The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, sponsored by De Beers. The diamond and silver cup (1), designed and made collaboratively by Mary Dean of London and John Cussell, was presented to the winners by Her Majesty The Queen (2). The cup was made and set with 70 brilliant cut diamonds weighing 11.5 carats by John and is supported by three oxidised silver thoroughbreds made by Mary (3).
The Lincoln Cathedral Goblet (4) was commissioned from John as a replica of an Elizabethan chalice (5) dated 1569, held in the Lincoln Cathedral Treasury. The planished bowl (5) - beaten and raised from a single sheet of silver - served as a prototype for the final spun cups made as a limited edition of 200. Each cup was then hand engraved, numbered and punched with John’s maker’s mark together with those of the assay office and date. |
Misericords - or mercy seats - feature in many English Cathedrals. These were carved wooden ledges, projecting from the back of the cathedral pew, where aged or infirm priests rested during the long medieval services. Those at Lincoln Cathedral represent some of the finest examples of the early art of the wood carver. They are reproduced in every detail on the lids of two silver boxes (7 & 8) commissioned by the cathedral. John has made many commissions for local organisations too. Amongst these is the pin brooch for the Grantham Choral Society (12), cast from a latex mould (13), and the badge of the East Midlands Choirs’ Trust (14). Other similar pieces made by John are sold to raise money for the national and international organisations of Amnesty International and The Woodland Trust.
John’s daughter Chloe Cussell has carried on that tradition, after graduating from Leeds University, School of Art she designed and made the medal of office for the Grantham Branch of the National Decorative & Fine Arts Society (15). |
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John used the same process for the chalice commissioned by Radley College (6). | ||
Over the years, John has worked on commissions for commercial companies and public and educational bodies as varied as Sainsbury’s plc, Saab Motors (9),The College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (10) (made at Stuart Devlin’s), Radley College (6) and Lancaster University.
These commissions mark centenaries, celebrate special achievements or commemorate special people. This set of silver paper knives and an award trophy made by John (11), were presented by the Law chambers of Michael Mansfield Q. C. to Lancaster University in memory of law student, Rachel Ferriby.
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