Casket
Oliver Morel
Category
Wooden objects
Date
1982
Materials
Mahogany, ebony, rosewood, hornbeam, holly, laburnum.
Measurements
17.5 x 40.5 x 26.5 cm
Place of origin
Moreton in Marsh
Order this imageCollection
Wallington, Northumberland
NT 582962
Summary
An ebony and mahogany workbox casket, English, made in 1982 by Oliver Morel. There are rosewood panels at one end and holly and hornbeam within, two drawers and sliding trays in laburnum.
Provenance
Presented to Wallington The Macassar Ebony was given to Sir George Trevelyan, who had obtained it from the Chalford workshop.
Marks and inscriptions
Written on a note inside the box: This casket was presented by him to the National Trust in August 1983, to be part of the permanent Wallington collection. It was designed to make use of some pieces of Macassar Ebony given to Oliver Morel by Sir George Trevelyan. This timber came originally from the Chalford Workshop of the late Peter Waals, who for nearly 20 years was Foreman to Ernest Gimson. It was at the Peter Waals workshop that Sir George, as a young man, gained his own practical knowledge about this particular tradition of English woodwork. It seems therefore very fitting that this Casket should find its permanent home in Lady Trevelyan’s sitting room at Wallington with its William Morris connections and her large embroidery. Oliver Morel is happy that Sir George’s name should thus be associated with his gift. Casket Design This workbox casket is an example of solid wood frame and panel work. There are 77 pieces of timber to be hand planed and jointed, so it is inevitable that the overall ‘feeling’ produced by such a piece is influenced by the manner in which all these ingredients are worked in together. The framing is of Macassar Ebony with panels of 19th century Cuban Mahogany. There are Rosewood panels at one end, and the lightwoods of the compartment are Hornbeam and Holly. The two drawers are punctuated by a surrounding border of very slender black and white inlay. Their sliding trays are made of laburnum. The corners of the box have an emphasis through the vertical ripple worked upon them. Some of the panels are recessed as a contrast to the doming of others Little is gained by labelling such a work as in a certain style or school of woodworking. This Casket is English craftsmanship at its finest. It was put together in 1982 but it has come out of the experience of generations of previous woodworkers. Oliver Morel has himself been a woodworker since 1934. Written by Sir George Trevelyan, Bt, August 1983
Makers and roles
Oliver Morel, carpenter