British Silver Week 2011 ‘Festival of Silver’ at Pangolin
London, Kings Place, King’s Cross, London. 9-13 May 10.30am - 7.30pm each day.

Press view Monday 9th May at 1.00pm. Prize giving by Lord Cunliffe 2.00pm.

The five-day ‘Festival of Silver’ at Pangolin London will highlight the depth and breadth of UK contemporary silversmithing. “The first day is great fun with all 100 British Silver Week silversmiths showing their work and having a get-together,” says Hamme.

Day 2, The ‘Masters’ Day’, will feature 20 of the UK’s finest artist-silversmiths demonstrating traditional skills. While the skills and the enormous dedication required have barely changed in hundreds of years the artistry has. Men like Malcolm Appleby, who will be one of the leading participants, are taking silversmith-engraving to new heights.

Day 3, ‘Decorative Silver, Engraving and Enamel’ features collections by 22 master-silversmiths, chasers, engravers and enamellers. Headlining is the Goldsmiths’ Company and Cartier Award winning enameller, Fred Rich, who may have to fire a piece of work 20-30 times in a kiln to achieve all the colours he wants to use, risking the whole piece of work each time.

Day 4, ‘Rising Stars of British Silver Week’ features collections by 24 of Britain’s up-and-coming new silversmiths. Many of the makers come from Bishopsland in Berkshire, the finishing academy for many future fine contemporary silversmiths and jewellers.

The final day, ‘Collections & Commissioning Day’ features contemporary silver collections including the Pearson Collection, one of Britain’s largest post-war silver collections, together with the work of 15 master-silversmiths who will discuss their work and commissioning silverware. “Steve Wager, exhibiting on the Commissioning Day, is a fascinating man with over 25 years experience at the great Asprey workshop in London, making for sultans and kings. He can raise a bar of silver into a work of art just using traditional hammers and simple files, one of the truly great modern craftsmen,” says Hamme