EXHIBITION PREVIEW: THE JENKINS FAMILY COLLECTION: 7-12 OCTOBER 2024

Most famous for designing the Prince of Wales’s Investiture coronet of 1969, Louis Osman (1914-1996) was to become one of the most important British designers and goldsmiths of the 20th century.

Now Noonans, who sold the Louis Osman’s Personal Archive in 2018, will present an exhibition to showcase an important collection of Louis Osman’s jewellery, gold and silver works in October 2024.

The Jenkins Family Collection which forms the exhibition is a private collection comprises 13 pieces, all individual commissions made by Osman for Mr and Mrs Maurice Jenkins and their three children. The Jenkins met Louis in the early 1970s when Maurice and his wife Dilys were living at Canons Ashby in Northamptonshire, and where Louis had set up his gold and silver workshops.

Osman was a man of many parts: he started his career as an architect, his interests and talents widening to become a designer, artist, medallist, goldsmith and silversmith. He felt he was following in the footsteps of the great Medieval and Renaissance polymath craftsmen, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Benvenuto Cellini. In a letter to his publisher, Louis noted: “Holbein could make jewellery and paint portraits for Henry VIII, providing the most marvellous drawings, which rest in the British Library. Michelangelo could design the dome of St Peter’s, carve David and paint the Sistine Chapel, but I am thought peculiar because I make things of gold and also of concrete, and can also draw.”

Graham Hughes, Art Director of the Goldsmiths’ Company and a fervent supporter of Louis Osman, noted that Louis “always undertook meticulous research to ensure his commissions were appropriate for the individuals or institutions commissioning them”, and this attention to detail is clearly evident in this diverse collection.

A principal highlight of the exhibition is a stunning parure of opal-set jewellery, crafted in 22ct gold, the white opals personally sourced by Maurice Jenkins while on business trips to Australia. The opal suite comprises a necklace, ring, earrings and brooch, and is housed in a specially carved case, hewn from a single piece of yew wood from the grounds of Canons Ashby, the natural imperfections in the wood further enhanced by trails of inlaid silver, showing similarities to the Japanese art form of ‘Kintsugi’. The boxes holding Louis’ jewellery often displayed as much thought and craftsmanship as the jewels themselves.

The exquisite ‘Aquarius’ silver cup, decorated with engraved ripples, small pearl bubbles and blue enamelled wave details (the enamel work was done by Louis’s wife, Dilys), was commissioned by the Jenkins family as a 21st birthday present for their son Toby.

The exhibition will include excerpts from the correspondence between Louis and the Jenkins family during the making of their commissions, further bringing to life the history behind each piece, and illustrating Louis’ highly creative processes behind their conception.

Louis Osman was not a prolific maker, so this is a rare opportunity to view examples of his work. A few of the pieces will appear alongside images of their original designs (previously included in the 2018 sale of Osman’s Personal Archive).

The free Exhibition runs from Monday to Saturday, 7-12 October, at Noonans,16 Bolton Street, Mayfair, W1J 8BQ. Opening times to be announced.

It is open to the public, with a printed catalogue available. The entire collection will be offered for sale at auction at Noonans on 26 November.