PEWTER AND THE REVIVAL OF ITS USE. 707 



Mr. Gardner ten years ago, and the interesting fact that no sooner 

 had the echoes of his words of lamentation died away than the cloud 

 which threatened extinction to the industry slowly lifted, and from 

 that day the erstwhile moribund craft has been struggling back to 

 life. Among the controlling influences tending toward this result a 

 certain firm, whose name I need not mention, had, shortly after that 

 time, adopted for designs in silver plate and jewelry the motif 

 and lines of ancient Celtic ornament. The results proving fairly 

 satisfactory, the question arose. Why not apply the like forms and 

 designs to the manufacture of pewter? Thus, rightly or wrongly, 

 the pioneers of the revival of Celtic ornament decided to work in 

 pewter on somewhat parallel lines with silver, and came to the con- 

 clusion that nothing is produced by the silversmith which may not, 

 as occasion arises, be made in pewter, but with the distinct proviso 

 that any attempt to imitate the precious metal should be avoided. 

 For pewter, however, only modifications of Celtic forms were used, 

 and these were soon supplemented by floral and plant motives to 

 which the distinguishing name of '' Tudric " was given. This modest 

 effort was, at all events, the first step toward the reawakening of the 

 pewter industry, and up to the present it remains the only effort 

 that has been made in England. It attained some commercial suc- 

 cess, and, directly and indirectly, it has been the means of the revival, 

 so far as a revival has at present progressed. But the ideal of 

 modern English pewter, as conceived by its sponsors, aims at more 

 than a commercial success — it aims at a high standard in design, a 

 high standard in Avorkmanship, and a high standard in the quality 

 of the metal, and it strives to avoid overmodeling and overchasing. 

 It would devote attention to shapes being properly adapted to the 

 several purposes for which the objects are made, it would see that the 

 constructive lines be graceful, well contrasted, and strong, and that 

 ornament, wdien used at all, be used with restraint, and grow out of 

 the general design. These excellent intentions, unfortunately, are 

 not ahvays carried out, for faulty and eccentric notes strike out from 

 time to time. These, however, it is confidently believed, are mere 

 accidents by the Avay, and will doubtless become less and less fre- 

 quent. The Germans are, practically, the only Continental repre- 

 sentatives of the modern pewter industry, and they, having observed 

 the new note struck in England, appear to have seized upon the fact 

 that a change in the fashion of their own wares was desirable. So, 

 forthwith, they proceeded to produce what they conceived to be an 

 improvement upon the English work, and ti-anslated it into the 

 fantastic motif which it pleases our Continental friends to worship 

 as Part nouveau. Still, alongside the foolish and undesirable, it 

 must in justice be admitted that the Germans have recently produ(;ed 

 many originaband pleasing designs in pewter. I allude, particularly 



