The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-23

spoons, tankardS, bowls, trayS-in fact
anything and everything that was ever
made OF gold, silver, copper or brass.
Indeed, l doubt if since the days of
Benvenuto Cellini any one has brought
such love of handicraft. such a passion
for creation, and such individuality of
expression into mental work
She is without doubt the only wom
an silversmith in the world. There
are a few clever women designers of
jewels, but Mrs. Wynae actually does
every bit of the work herself. from
the time that the metal is crude ore
until it is a finished work of art
Although Madeleine Yale Wynne,
author of the much-talked-of Little
Room" and other clever stories-fre-
quent exhibitor of paintings at the Art
institute, Il brilliant society woman-a
modeler and designer, was by no means
unfamiliar to me. Madeleine Yale
Wynne, silversmith. sounded so unique
and interesting that l Immediately
sought to learn more about her latest
expression in art, at her beautiful home
in Richie place.
How Mrs. Wynne Works.
THE work l do said Mrs. Wynne,
lis practically what the old workmen
of India, and indeed all other nations,
did before machinery came to corrupt,
and invention took the place of imagin-
alton. Some one has said that | work
like a native who has taste but not
education. l use the crude ore just as
it comes from the mines when L can
get it, but more often have TO take
the metals from the rolling mills. where
they have been melted and rolled into
sheets From that moment my per-
sonality alone determines what form
the metal is to take. l heat and ham
mer, heat and hammer, burnish, press
and shape as my imagination leads,
unhampered by the academic, or the
demands of manufacturer and dealer
Metals have Compartments just as
much as people and l should consider
il a sin to warp one into form an
tagonistic to its nature. From the time
a metal comes into my hands we are
cooperative and ! never ask 1t for
anything that does not belong to 1t
tenperamentally Bat now you would
perhaps like to see some Of my work.
bringing forward q basket filed with all
sorts of quaint and bizarre hand
wrought ornaments
Everything that [ do is in co'or.
and from the basket came a delicious
study in brown. a heavy silver twist
irregularly enameled in brown 10
which was attached an ooze belt of the
same shade: then some queerly twisted
silver buckles enameled in strange
blues and greens; here was a delicate
clasp of transparent blue enamel to
harmonic with crush belt of change
able silk This is simply scheme
in color with a tendency to rides
cence." explained the clever woman.
Color for me expresses the whole
gamtlt of the emotions, while form Is
purely Intellectual"
But perhaps the most fascinating of,
these archaic creations we're some SoI-
geous cloak steners in copper. studded
over with brilliant hued enamels. to be
held together with thongs of BRAIDED
leather. which might easily have been
made to fasten the cloak OF q BOaulcea,
or an Egyptian queen. In contrast 10
these was a beautifully hammered and
beaten odd-shaped silver buckle with
depressions and oDen work. giving the
effect of exquisite embroidery or lace.
These depreysions and open work,
said the silversmith, in reply TO my
questions, Il make according TO my eye
with a kind of awl while the silver is
still hot. You have to exercise great
care in working in silver; it has a
decided temper of its own, and II you
undertake to force it or subject ii to
the heat for too long a time, 1t stiifens
and becomes obdurate; it may deceive
Won and WELD to the hammer for a lit
tie but it eventually breaks and
loves labor lost III, however, you
keep it under the blow-pipe until it is
Just cherry red, all its particles re-
adjust themselves into their original
soft and ductile condition, and you get
that plastic quality that makes it as
clay in the hands of the potter. These
depressions and openings are exactly
what light and shade are in picture"
Her Workshop.
Nf.a, tbic of corrse uust come a
visit to the little shop at the top of
the house, overlooking the blue lake,
where Mrs. Wynne makes her beautiful
dreams come true. Here We're found
the few simple implements that served
the fifteenth and sixteenth cntury art
lists for their immortal handwork in
metals A forge, bloW-pipe, huge pair
of shears, hammers, files, avis, bur-
nishers and polishers.
Mrs. Wynne's work is indeed a COM
piete getting away from the conven-