Gold brooch in the spirit of medieval jewelry with moonstones, black pearls, chrysoprase, bowenite and rubies, height 14 cm, John Paul Cooper, 1908, Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
John Paul Cooper (1869-1933), a leading figure in the British Arts and Crafts movement, was an architect, designer and goldsmith. After attending Bradfield College, Cooper began working for the architectural firm J. D. Sedding, where he met Sedding’s assistant, Henry Wilson. They were united by a common interest in metalworking and jewelry design.
Cooper joined the “Birmingham Group” of the Arts and Crafts movement, which included: John Houghton Bonnor, John Paul Cooper, Edward Spencer and Henry Wilson, and in 1893 exhibited for the first time in the Society of Arts and Crafts. In 1897 he set up his small workshop in Kensington and exhibited regularly in the Society of Arts and Crafts in the following years.
Gold brooch with moonstone, emeralds and ruby by John Paul Cooper, circa 1905
John Paul Cooper created his first jewelry in 1900.
He presented some of his pieces at the Exposition De l’Art decoratif in Paris. From 1901, Cooper began teaching, and from 1904 to 1907 he served as head of the metalworking department at the Birmingham School of Art. In his teaching methodology, he proceeded from the fact that metal designers should design only those items that they themselves can produce.
John Paul Cooper often created his jewelry in gold, as opposed to the more typical silver pieces created by his associates. He used semi-precious and precious stones, drawing inspiration from their beauty, and often created spontaneous compositions rather than matching stones to premeditated designs. Once he remarked that the gems should “… be in harmony with each other, like two musical notes …”.
Exquisite silver miniature box with shagreen trim, 5 cm long, probably John Paul Cooper, circa 1900. Inside is a small silver box in the form of a basket with a lid.
Cooper completed several important public commissions, including two crosses and a pair of altar vases for Birmingham Cathedral. In the late 1890s, he began making caskets trimmed with shagreen and exotic skins such as rays and sharks. By the middle of the 19th century, the technique of dressing and dyeing shagreen had been lost, and firms relied on the reuse of leather from old items. Cooper was determined to revive the process and restore the market. In 1899, he exhibited his first pebbled leather box.
John Paul Cooper was particularly noted at the 1906 Arts and Crafts Exhibition, when Studio magazine singled out his pieces for their sculptural quality and originality, at a time when other exhibitors’ work seemed rather formulaic. Shimmering colors and rounded cabochon-cut stones are typical features of Arts and Crafts jewelry. Cooper often favored spiritual and symbolic subjects. He was fascinated by the magical and spiritual associations of precious metals and stones.
After his father’s death, Cooper’s legacy allowed him to retire from teaching. In 1910 he moved to Betsomes Hill, the highest hill in Kent, where he built a house and a studio which he designed himself as “a tribute to the rustic architecture of Kent”.
Three-compartment box with silver shagreen trim, rope trim, rhinoceros plaque, flower clasp, early 20th century.Silver box with olive shagreen trim, circa 1930Shagreen wood trimmed cigar box in silver frame with coral pommel, 12 cm high, 1910Gold pendant Ouroboros decorated with moonstones, height 8 cm, 1929Gold and amethyst necklace, circa 1905Kingfisher gold necklace set with emeralds, rubies and pearls, 1906Pendant in gold set with blister pearls, opals, rubies and aquamarine pebbles, circa 1905Bracelet in gold with garnets, chrysoberyl and pearls, circa 1905Garnet and diamond flower diadem gold ring, circa 1900. This ring is remarkable in that the craftsman made all the leaves and flowers separately, using over 50 individual gold elements, which is the hallmark of the artisans’ guild jewelry.Tortoise shell, silver, chalcedony and diamond jewelery combs, 11 cm high, circa 1900Closed-set blister pearl necklace with three tourmalines, early 20th century.Pair of light horn combs adorned with silver and pearls, 11 cm high, circa 1905Ring with emeralds, circa 1900Gold weaver bird pendant with pearls and tourmaline, circa 1900Gold pendant set with rubies, garnets, chrysoprase and turquoise, 1908Necklace with pendant set with chrysoprase, sapphire, opal, zircon and ruby, 1909Gold and silver Madonna and Child pendant set with rubies, chrysoprase, sapphires, aquamarines and opals, designed and made by John Paul Cooper, 1906, V&A Museum, London.Gold ring with diamond, circa 1900Pendant brooch in gold, embellished with pearls and emeralds, diameter 3.5 cm, 1905Opal and pearl gold ring by John Paul Cooper, circa 1900Brooch set with rubies, tourmalines, chalcedony, garnets and emeralds, 3 cm high, 1905Gold pendant Angel, decorated with enamel, 1913Gold pendant depicting two gnomes set with opals, 1924Pear-shaped gold pendant in an openwork design with leaves and flowers typical of Cooper’s work, embellished with moonstones, 1900Gemstone necklace attributed to John Paul Cooper, pendant with cabochon moonstone, emeralds and sapphires, suspended on a chain with moonstones, emeralds and sapphires.Gold necklace with precious stones.Gold necklace with precious stones.Silver garnet ring by John Paul Cooper, circa 1900John Paul Cooper book. Designer and Craftsman of the Arts and Crafts Movement was released in 1999.
