The works of Herbert Maryon (1874–1965) were made in a variety of mediums. They were intended to be decorative, functional, or commemorative, and were primarily made during the first four decades of the twentieth century, a span that marked the first half of Maryon's career. In addition to being a sculptor and a goldsmith, Maryon was also an archaeologist, conservator, author, and authority on ancient metalwork—he saw his career as an artist carry him through the Second World War; a second career as a conservator at the British Museum brought him note for his work on the finds from the Sutton Hoo ship-burial.
Maryon designed, executed, and exhibited works while an art student, and as an art teacher. In 1899, while still in school—an education that included studies at the Polytechnic (probably Regent Street), The Slade, Saint Martin's School of Art, and the Central School of Arts and Crafts—Maryon used the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society's event at the New Gallery to exhibit some of his earliest works: a shield of arms with silver cloisonné, and a silver cup that was designed by William Lethaby, who taught Maryon at the Central School. The following year Maryon became the first director of the Arts and Crafts-inspired Keswick School of Industrial Art, and until his departure in 1904 his work primarily consisted of designs and executions for the school. Maryon's pieces for the school ranged from individual commissions to utilitarian tableware; particularly with more functional designs, multiple examples were sometimes executed.
Maryon's career became more academic following his departure from Keswick. During his time teaching sculpture and other forms of art, however—from 1907 until 1927 at the University of Reading, and from 1927 until 1939 at Durham University's Armstrong College—he continued taking commissions. These included the designs for a statue, memorial plaques, and at least three war memorials: including the University of Reading War Memorial, where Maryon worked.
The following is a substantially incomplete list of the works of Herbert Maryon.
| Image | Title/Description | Date | Dimensions | Location | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal casket | 1898 | Displayed at the Camden School of Art, where it won a prize for works in wrought metal. Maryon's sister Edith Maryon also won a prize, for a modelled head from life. | ||||
| 1899 | Displayed at the New Gallery for the 1899 Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society exhibition. | |||||
| Silver cup | 1899 | Designed by William Lethaby, Maryon's teacher at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. Displayed at the New Gallery for the 1899 Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society exhibition. | ||||
| Knocker | 1900 | Executed by Jeremiah Richardson. Displayed in the Royal Albert Hall for the Home Arts and Industries Exhibition, and reviewed in The Studio as "singularly good". | ||||
| Winged Victory | 1900 | Private collection | Similar to works by Maryon's teacher Alexander Fisher. | |||
| Copper casket | 1900 | 36.5 × 21.5 × 10 cm | Designed by Maryon; executed by Thomas Spark; ornamented by Thomas Clark and Maryon. Displayed in the Royal Albert Hall for the Home Arts and Industries Exhibition, and reviewed in The Studio as "singularly good". Auctioned in 2005 by Penrith Farmers’ & Kidd's, with an estimate of £800 to £1,200. | |||
| Enamelled copper box | 3.5 in diameter | Private collection | Sold on eBay twice, in 2008, and in 2017. | |||
| Bryony | 1900–04 | Tray centre, said by a historian of the Keswick School to be "suggestive of tangled growth," and to be influenced by the wallpapers of William Morris. | ||||
| Loving cup | 1901 | Exhibited at the 1901 Home Arts and Industries Exhibition. | ||||
| 1901 | 3 5/12 × 2 ft | Bronze on oak. Commissioned for £15, executed by Thomas Clark. Per Nikolaus Pevsner, "Arts and Crafts, almost Art Nouveau". | ||||
| Silver hot water jug | 1902 | 17 cm high | Private collection | Executed by Robert Temple. Exhibited at the 1902 Home Arts and Industries Exhibition. Possibly the same jug pictured on page 71 of Ian Bruce's The Loving Eye and Skilful Hand. | ||
| Copper hot water jug | 1902 | 6 in high; 3.5 cm wide | Private collection | Same design as above silver jug. Executed by Robert Temple., for sale by Hammer and Hand for £175. | ||
| Hot water jug | 1902 | 20 cm high | Private collection | Executed by Thomas Clark. | ||
| Copper tea pot | 1902 | 12 cm high | Private collection | |||
| Silver cup | 1902 | Executed by Robert Temple. | ||||
| Morse in silver and enamel | 1902 | Executed by Thomas Clark. | ||||
| Copper and pewter work | 1902 | Executed by Jeremiah Richardson, Thomas Clark, and Robert Temple. The casket is likely the 1900 design above. | ||||
| Copper tea caddy | 1902 | 4.5 in high | Private collection | Back left in photograph. Executed by Jeremiah Richardson, Thomas Clark, or Robert Temple. One version executed by Thomas Clark sold 2017–2024. | ||
| Copper vase | 1902 | 19.5 cm high | Private collection | Back right in photograph. One version auctioned in 2017 for £70. | ||
| Silver cream jug and sugar bowl | 1902–03 | 6 cm high | Private collection | Executed by Robert Temple. | ||
| Altar cross | 1902 | Designed by Maryon; executed by Jeremiah Richardson. Commissioned for Hexham Abbey in Hexham, and displayed at the 1902 Home Arts and Industries Exhibition. Awarded two blue stars at the Exhibition, signifying excellence in execution. | ||||
| Oxidised silver casket | 1902 | Presented to Princess Louise upon her 1902 visit to the Keswick School. Designed by Maryon; executed by Jeremiah Richardson, Robert Temple, and Thomas Clark; enamelled by Maryon's sister Mildred Maryon. | ||||
| Copper hot water jug | 1903 | 18.5 cm high; 10 cm diameter (base) | Manchester School of Art Arts and Crafts Museum | Possibly executed by Thomas Clark, whose last name is inscribed on the base. Exhibited at the 1903 Home Arts and Industries Exhibition, and purchased by the Manchester School of Art for its Arts and Crafts Museum. Exhibited from 22 October 1994 to 26 March 1995 as part of Inspired by Design: The Arts and Crafts Collection of The Manchester Metropolitan University. | ||
| Processional cross | 1903 | |||||
| Fire-Irons and Stand | 1904 | Designed by Maryon; executed by Matthew Armstrong. Displayed at the Leeds City Art Gallery for the 1904 Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society exhibition, where it was priced at £10 10s. | ||||
| Silver loving cup | 1904 | 1.5 × 1 ft (without plinth) | Commissioned by the Cumberland County Council for presentation to . Presented by Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey in August 1905. | |||
| Processional cross | 1904 | Executed by members of the Keswick School. Featured in The Studio in December 1905. | ||||
| Silver challenge shield | 1904 | Executed by members of the Keswick School. Featured in The Studio in December 1905. | ||||
| Victory | 1906 | Bronze Statuette. Displayed at the Leeds City Art Gallery for the 1906 spring exhibition, priced at £7 7s. and in July 1907 at the Coniston Institute as pert of an annual exhibition of arts crafts of the Lake District. Both exhibitions also included other works by Maryon. | ||||
| The Mermaid | 1906 | Silver and pearl ring. Displayed at the Leeds City Art Gallery for the 1906 spring exhibition, priced at £5 5s. Also displayed in July 1907 at the Coniston Institute as pert of an annual exhibition of arts crafts of the Lake District. | ||||
| Silver chalice | 1906 | Displayed at the Grafton Galleries for the 1906 Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society exhibition, priced at £5 5s. A "Sicilian Lace Tablecloth" was listed as being displayed by "Mrs. Herbert J. Maryon." Also displayed in July 1907 at the Coniston Institute as pert of an annual exhibition of arts crafts of the Lake District. | ||||
| Silver cup: "St. George" | 1906 | Displayed at the Grafton Galleries for the 1906 Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society exhibition, priced at £12 12s. A "Sicilian Lace Tablecloth" was listed as being displayed by "Mrs. Herbert J. Maryon." | ||||
| Pewter tray | 1906 | Executed by Matthew Armstrong. Displayed with three other items from the Keswick School at the 1906–07 New Zealand International Exhibition in Christchurch. | ||||
| 1910 | Displayed at the Grafton Galleries for the 1910 Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society exhibition. | |||||
| Dawn | 1910 | Displayed at a 1910 exhibition of the Arts and Crafts Society in Carlisle. | ||||
| 1912 | Bronze. | |||||
| Polonius | 1912 | Exhibited at the Reading Corporation Art Gallery in 1912. Described by The Reading Observer as "a fine piece of modelling . . . which shows vigorous handling". | ||||
| Pan pipes | 1914 | Statuette. Exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1914. | ||||
| 1920 | Unveiled on 26 September 1920. | |||||
| 1921 | Unveiled on 9 October 1921. | |||||
| Chorlton Road Congregational Church war memorial | 1923 | Gilded bronze. Erected in Chorlton Road Congregational Church (later Chorlton Road United Reformed Church; demolished 2010–14) in Manchester. Displayed in The Builder in April 1923. | ||||
| 1924 | Unveiled in June 1924. | |||||
| An Invocation to Isis | 1925 | 49.4 cm high; 12.3 cm wide (plinth) | Exhibited at Laing Art Gallery and Museum in 1927 for the Twentieth Annual Exhibition of Works by Artists of the Northern Counties, priced at £31 10s. Purchased from Maryon by the Laing Art Gallery in 1929. Exhibited at the Reading Museum & Town Hall from 5 June 1976 to 3 July 1976 as part of the exhibition Art and the University, from 1860, and at the Laing Art Gallery from 27 October 2018 to 3 March 2019 as part of the exhibition Exposed: The Naked Portrait. | |||
| Berkshire County Council medal | 1927 | Designed by Maryon. Multiple copies executed. One medal awarded in 1928 to the winner of an egg-laying competing; another awarded in 1929 to the winner of the Annual Farriery Competition, and auctioned by Noonans in 2012 for £45. | ||||
| National Pig Breeders' Association medal | 1927 | Designed by Maryon. Multiple copies executed, one of which is held by the British Museum. | ||||
| University of Reading medal | 1927 | Designed by Maryon. Multiple copies executed. | ||||
| Merchant Adventurer | 1927 | Exhibited at Laing Art Gallery and Museum in 1927 for the Twentieth Annual Exhibition of Works by Artists of the Northern Counties, priced at £125. | ||||
| Shepherd | 1927 | Exhibited at Laing Art Gallery and Museum in 1927 for the Twentieth Annual Exhibition of Works by Artists of the Northern Counties, priced at £15 15s. | ||||
| Nymph | 1927 | Exhibited at Laing Art Gallery and Museum in 1927 for the Twentieth Annual Exhibition of Works by Artists of the Northern Counties, priced at £15 15s. | ||||
| Garden Figure | 1927 | Exhibited at Laing Art Gallery and Museum in 1927 for the Twentieth Annual Exhibition of Works by Artists of the Northern Counties, priced at £52 10s. | ||||
| Statue of Industry | 1929 | Made for the 1929 North East Coast Exhibition, a world's fair held at Newcastle upon Tyne. Tarred and feathered on the night of 25 October 1929 by several hundred students from Armstrong College. | ||||
| 1929 | Unveiled 8 June 1929. A replica of the memorial was cast at the works of Sir Archibald Ross, and unveiled in the headquarters of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on 20 February 1931. | |||||
| 1932 | Bronze tablet, cast at the Thames Ditton Foundry, mounted on green marble from Connemara. Unveiled on 2 December 1932 at C. A. Parsons and Company. Sometime after 2003 the building was demolished and the plaque was donated to the Discovery Museum, where as of 2016 there were plans to place it on display. | |||||
| Memorial to Henry Ayrton Chaplin |
| Image | Title/Description | Date | Dimensions | Location | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper lidded jug | 1900 | 14 cm high | Auctioned by Mellors & Kirk in 2023 for £110, "the design attributed to Herbert Maryon"., for sale by Hill House Antiques & Decorative Arts Limited for £650. | |||
| Silver and enamel pendant necklace | 4.5 cm high | Stamped "KSIA". Sold by Hill House Antiques & Decorative Arts Limited in 2005. Auctioned by Woolley & Wallis in 2023 for £550, "the design attributed to Herbert Maryon, possibly made by Isabel McBean". | ||||
| Brass vase | 20.5 cm high | Pentagonal case with slightly flared rim. Auctioned by Thompson Roddick Auctioneers & Valuers in 2022, "[a]ttributed to Herbert Maryon." |