972.13.1a/b Two Candlesticks F.W. Vienna Austria

September 5 – October 6, 1978

University Centre

Curated by Professor Martin Segger

View the online catalogue:

The Maltwood Arts and Crafts Collection – Catalogue

The Arts-and-Crafts Movement began in the middle the nineteenth century as an attempt to get away from the practice of borrowing forms from historic styles and to base design instead on intrinsic properties of materials and structure.

The Arts & Crafts principle of natural expression of material and structure can be seen in architecture, in its emphasis on exposed structure (half-timber work in the walls), and evidences of hand craftsmanship (adaze marks on the exposed beams). It is likewise evident in a new interest in old, vernacular furniture with its preference for sturdy construction and rough-grained materials like oak; it appears in the emphasis on the fabric of textiles; the special qualities of matte glazes in ceramics; and the patina of jewelry and metalwork.

Perhaps the best-known offshoot of this international style is Art Nouveau; its sensuous curves and flat patterns derive directly from certain Arts & Crafts principles which continue to influence all architecture and design of today.