The Opening of the 2004 Wizardry in Wood Exhibition

The Address by the Master of the Worshipful Company of Turners (2004/05), Mr Richard Levy

My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my pleasant duty today to open this wonderful exhibition, Wizardry in Wood 2004.

The motivation for the exhibition springs from the event 400 years ago, when the Guild of Turners was granted a Charter of Incorporation by King James the First of England and Sixth of Scotland.  The Guild became the Company it is today, called in full “The Master, Wardens and Commonalty of the Mistery or Art of the Turners of London”.  The Charter is in Latin, is dated 12 June 1604, almost exactly 400 years ago today, and the original is on display in the Hall today as part of today’s exhibition.

However, our recorded history is more than twice as old as the Company’s Charter; the first reference to Turners in the City’s records was in 1179.  For many centuries the Turners Guild controlled the trade in turned articles in the City and had the right to search for and destroy any turned item which did not carry a mark to show it had been made by a member of the Guild.

In the seventeenth century the Company lost its monopoly rights to the trade in turned articles, and at about the same time the lost most of its assets in the South Sea Bubble.  For about a century the Company was almost destitute and had very few members, but in the mid nineteenth century its fortunes revived.  A number of notable public figures (for example, William Gladstone, the Prime Minister) became members, and since then the Company has been active in promoting the Craft of Turning,

As I mentioned, the Company held its biennial turning competitions yesterday.  The standard of entry was extremely high, as it always is.  The prize winners are to be congratulated on the excellence of their work; in order to win they have demonstrated outstanding turning abilities and skilled design and use of beautiful materials.  The winning entries are on display in the Hall so you will be able to admire them for yourselves.

This magnificent exhibition has received support from a number of people and, in particular, those who sponsored our 2004 Competitions; and the Company is indebted to them for their generous help.  I would like to mention in particular:

We are very grateful to them for all that they have done.

I would also like to express the Company’s thanks to Alan Mitchell, a Liveryman of the Turners’ Company, who has put in an enormous amount of work in organising this exhibition, as have many very many other Liverymen.  Thank you to you all.

The core of Wizardry in Wood is the display of fine turned objects.  There are some wonderful items from the Company’s own collection.  In addition, a number of private collectors of turned items have lent the Company some prized pieces from their collections.  I would like to thank Jonathon Cuff and Shirley Sinclair, Brian and Hana Smouha, the St Petersburg Collection and Sarah Faberge for allowing some of their sensational pieces to be included in this exhibition.

Thirdly, a number of the finest turners working in the UK today have joined us and are displaying their work, some of which is for sale.  The quality of all these items is stunning, and I know I would like to buy almost everything that is available; fortunately for you I cannot do so – and I hope you will take advantage of this in order to buy some fine turning for yourself.

Finally, there are displays by the main turning bodies: the Register of Professional Turners, the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain, the Society of Ornamental Turners and the Association of Pole Lathe Turners.

Among these displays by present-day turners is one of musical instruments, including flutes and oboes, turned by Mathew Dart, a student of Terry Pamplin, and Tom Pockley.  One of these instruments is a reproduction of a flute made by Stanesby Junior, who became a Freeman of the Turners’ Company in 1728 and was subsequently Master of the Company in 1739 and 1740.  My thanks to Mathew, Tom, and all the other Turners who have come here today to enhance this exhibition with displays of their wonderful workmanship.

Also on display is a giant Wassail Bowl, believed to be the largest ever made.  It was turned by Stephen Cooper, member of the Register of Professional Turners, on a lathe kindly supplied by Hegner UK, and formed part of the Company’s float in the Lord Mayor’s Show last November.  The bowl can be seen in the Marquee outside, next to the lathe on which it was turned.  The lathe will be used for turning demonstrations during the course of the exhibition.

Also on display is a lathe, made by Stuart King to a design shown in a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci.  So far as we have been able to find out, there is no record of Leonardo’s lathe ever having been built before, and we are indebted to Stuart for his dedicated work in doing so.  Stuart has been a tremendous supporter of the Company. He has been active in the Company’s meetings with the Craft and on one occasion he conducted an auction of items for the benefit of the Company’s Charity.  He was involved from the start in the design and operation of the Company’s float in last year’s Lord Mayor’s Show and demonstrated his proficiency on the pole lathe while on the float and in motion!  He has also developed a visual History of Turning, on show in the entrance hall.  For all these reasons I am delighted to present Stuart with the Freedom of the Company.  Stuart, thank you for all that you have done for the Company; here is a certificate of your Freedom and I hope you will enjoy many happy years associated with the Company.

And here is the lathe itself, as recorded by Leonardo da Vinci and produced by our Freeman, Stuart King.

Finally, I would like to welcome our honoured guest, David Linley, whose furniture making skills are well known.  His company produces and sells many fine turned items, from bowls to candlesticks to egg cups, and we are delighted that he has been able to join us today.  As a memento, I would like to present him with a small wooden box, turned in African Blackwood with boxwood inlay by Paul Coker to mark the 400th anniversary of the Company’s Royal Charter.

And now, I invite you all to enter the exhibition, Wizardry in Wood, and see for yourselves these wonderful and unique objects that are the product of the time-honoured craft of Turning.

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Page Published 16 February 2005
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