This intricate hand-beaded necklace is designed by Clara Francis for the Cherry on the Cake: Jewellery collection. The inspiration for this necklace design has come from a floral silk design by the Spitalfields designer Anna Maria Garthwaite(1690-1763). Exquisitely translated into beadwork Clara Francis uses peyote, tubular peyote and brick stitches, working with a drawn template to achieve the careful shading. In a satisfying link to the heritage of this piece Clara runs a stall on Spitalfields Market and can trace her own ancestry to the area.
The Cherry on the Cake: Jewellery collection celebrates the launch of the new William and Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery on 24 May 2008, and is devoted entirely to jewellery bringing together 19 contemporary makers, designers and artists for the collection. The aim of the V&A’s ‘Cherry on the Cake’ range is to bring together designers, ideas and products in a collection of exclusive, special limited editions which match the diversity, originality and quality of the V&A’s Collections.
