Dryad of Lester Arts & Crafts Copper Bowl c.1912

We have for sale a rather lovely and very festive arts and crafts copper fruit or nut bowl made by Dryad Metal Works of Leicester c1912. This very attractive heavy planished copper bowl is of circular form with a rope twist rim and is supported on 3 beautifully made ball feet. The bowl is marked Dryad, Lester and 30 to the base. The bowl is 8 inches in diameter, 2.75 inches high and weighs around 550g. The bowl is in an excellent antique condition with the surface wear one would expect from an arts and crafts bowl of this period. History of the Dryad Metal Works The Dryad Works for Handicrafts was established as a manufacturer of cane furniture in 1907 by Harry Hardy Peach (1874 – 1936), he then established the Dryad Metal Works in 1912 and Dryad Handicrafts 1918. The later company was set up to supply cane and other craft materials for use in occupational therapy and schools. By 1936 Dryad Handicraft was the largest supplier of handicrafts in the world. Harry Hardy Peach was a very significant individual in Leicester, he was a founder member of the Design and Industries Association, the founder of Leicester University and strongly believed that individual flair could be complimented by the efficiency of industry. Saying that, he can be considered as an early conservationist, he was a campaigner for the Council of the Preservation of Rural England and the Ramblers Association. For further information about Harry Hardy Peach see ‘Harry Peach, Dryad and the Dia’ by Pat Kirkham published by the Design Council, London in 1986 and Unfolding Creativity: British Pioneers in Arts Education from 1890-1950, Editors John Howlett and Amy Palmer, Chapter 7: 169-189, Springer (2021) on Harry Peach.