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Lot Essay
This casket, listed in the Ramsden workbooks as 'THE FOUR SEASONS CASKET Limoges Enamel + wrought silver No. 168', typifies the quality objects which were produced in Ramsden's workshop and highlights the involvement of the many craftsmen at St. Dunstan's, who together spent some 750 hours on this casket.
The workbook entry shows that Omar Ramsden himself took at active interest in the casket's creation, describing his role as 'Design + Supervision.' As would often have been the case the actual drawings for this object were produced by A. E. Ulyett, a task which took him 33½ hours, at a cost of £3-16-0. Perhaps most interesting is the listing for the enamel which is costed at £28-15-3. While the actual entry does not credit the enamel to a specific craftsmen, as in the entry for lot 34, we are helped in this case by a secondary sheet titled 'Cost of Enamels Analysis' which has been inserted into the workbook and which identifies Jeanne Etève as the enameller.
The level of detail included on that sheet shows the great care which Ramsden took in recording his costs.
Drawing - Mr. Ulyett 33½ hrs @ 2/6 = £ 3-16-0
J.E. - 344 Hrs @ 1/1 18-12-8
Holiday Bonus + Sundries 2- 1-6
Material - Enamels 1- 0-0
Foil Gold + Silver 9-4
Gold Shells 8-0
Metal 5-0
Gas 2- 2-5
The workbook entry shows that Omar Ramsden himself took at active interest in the casket's creation, describing his role as 'Design + Supervision.' As would often have been the case the actual drawings for this object were produced by A. E. Ulyett, a task which took him 33½ hours, at a cost of £3-16-0. Perhaps most interesting is the listing for the enamel which is costed at £28-15-3. While the actual entry does not credit the enamel to a specific craftsmen, as in the entry for lot 34, we are helped in this case by a secondary sheet titled 'Cost of Enamels Analysis' which has been inserted into the workbook and which identifies Jeanne Etève as the enameller.
The level of detail included on that sheet shows the great care which Ramsden took in recording his costs.
Drawing - Mr. Ulyett 33½ hrs @ 2/6 = £ 3-16-0
J.E. - 344 Hrs @ 1/1 18-12-8
Holiday Bonus + Sundries 2- 1-6
Material - Enamels 1- 0-0
Foil Gold + Silver 9-4
Gold Shells 8-0
Metal 5-0
Gas 2- 2-5