Wendy Ramshawthe scottish gallery collection

Wendy Ramshawthe scottish gallery collection

Born in 1939, Wendy Ramshaw is an international champion of modern jewellery. Her signature Ringsets are represented in over 70 public collections worldwide and Prospero’s Table now sits on public display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in Texas. Ramshaw’s work also encompasses designs for textiles, screens, gateways and sculpture.

The Scottish Gallery has exhibited some of her most ambitious ideas through exhibitions such as Picasso’s Ladies (1989), Room of Dreams (2002), Prospero’s Table (2004) and A Journey Through Glass (2007). Room of Dreams was designed and created as a theatrical stage set for the jewellery and has been revived as a major touring exhibition which began at Somerset House in 2012 and ended in 2015. In 2013 we held an exhibition called ‘The Inventor’ to coincide with the touring exhibition Rooms of Dreams,

The Scottish Gallery has held a significant collection of Wendy Ramshaw’s work since 1988. We have a comprehensive collection of ringsets, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and many of her publictations. Appointments are not always necessary to view work but we recommend that you contact the gallery to check if there is a specialist member of staff to help you with selection and fitting.

Front cover: China Sea Earrings, 1998, 18ct gold on brass stand. Photo by William Van Esland

Left: Set of Rings for Portrait of Dora Maar. 1990. 14 part ringset, 18ct gold, garnets, citrines, enamel. Photo by Bob Cramp

Brooch. Plan in a gold circle. 18ct yellow gold. 1988. Photo by William Van Esland

Brooch. Plan in a gold circle. 18ct yellow gold. 1988. Photo by William Van Esland Left: 14 part ringset, diamond and geometric 18ct rings Right: Solitaire, 18ct gold and diamond ringset on white delrin stand.Photo by William Van Esland

Earrings ‘Things for Portrait of Nusch’ from Picasso’s Ladies. 18ct, mixed media, moonstone and amethyst.c. 1989. Photo by William Van Esland

Earrings, 18ct and amethyst. 1994. Photo by William Van Esland

10 part ringset. 18ct yellow gold, amethyst, iolite, sapphire, garnet. Mounted on a brass stand inlaid with mauve. Photo by William Van Esland

Earrings, 18ct and amethyst. 1994. Photo by William Van Esland

Left: Red Exotic: 8 part ringset. 18ct gold, fire opal, ruby and red enamel bands on a brass inlaid stand with red wire. 2004.Right:7 part ringset. 18ct yellow, garnet, ruby, cornelian, fire opal on delrin stand with red bands.Photo by William Van Esland

Earrings ‘Night Owl’. 18ct pendant earrings on a brass stand. Photo by William Van EslandLeft: Red Exotic: 8 part ringset. 18ct gold, fire opal, ruby and red enamel bands on a brass inlaid stand with red wire. 2004.Right:7 part ringset. 18ct yellow, garnet, ruby, cornelian, fire opal on delrin stand with red bands.Photo by William Van Esland

Apache Tears (Journey Through Glass) 10 part ringset, 18ct gold with smokey quartz, silver and gold, black enamel with gold dust, on a white delrin stand with pale brown inlay. 2007. Photo by William Van Esland

Set of seven rings, 18ct yellow gold with diamonds, three target shapes mounted on a white delrin stand, 2010. Photo by William Van Esland

Woman Ironing Chain of Stones, silver, gilt and cubic zirconium, 1989. Photo by Shannon Tofts

Empress, 9 part 18ct white gold ringset with amethysts on a delrin stand. Photo by William Van Esland

7 part ringset. Silver, 18ct white gold, 18ct yellow gold, moonstones, labradorite. White acetal inlaid with white. 2005. Photo by William Van Esland

11 part ringset. Silver, 18ct white gold, 18ct yellow gold, pale sapphires. Mounted on a transparent perspex stand. Photo by William Van Esland

7 part ringset. Silver, 18ct white gold, 18ct yellow gold, moonstones, labradorite. White acetal inlaid with white. 2005. Photo by William Van Esland

Necklace: String of enamel beads, black line, 18ct yellow gold, black enamelNecklace: red line, 18ct yellow gold, red enamelPhoto by William Van Esland

Blanc avec Blanc, 2000. White gold with large white agate and diamonds. Photo by William Van Esland

Green Goddess. 8 part ringset, 18ct gold with emerald, cornelian, tourmaline, green garnet, 2000. Photo by William Van Esland

Pendant earrings, 2007. 18ct white gold with diamonds on white delrin stand. Photo by William Van Esland

Pink Dream. 6 part ringset, 18ct with tourmaline and garnets on a clear stand. Photo by William Van Esland

Left: Air, 2007, glass and 18ct gold thread, ball necklace, 6 cm diameter.Above: Lucciole, 2007, 18ct gold chain, pendant necklace, glass sphere with gold thread, 7 cm diameter. Photography by Graham Pym

Room of DreamsThe Scottish Gallery8 August - 3 September 2002

In 2002 Wendy Ramshaw achieved one of her most ambitious projects to date, by installing the Room of Dreams at The Scottish Gallery. This extraordinary project included flooring, a wall, furniture, sculpture and over 40 new pieces of jewellery all designed by Ramshaw for a specific area of the Gallery and united by an underlying theme of dreams. Although widely known as one of the most significant post-war jewel-lery designers in the UK, typified by projects such as Picasso’s Ladies shown at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London in 1999, Room of Dreams gave the viewer an expectional and different insight into Ram-shaw’s ability to articulate her ideas in very different ways and on differing scales.

Above & bottom right: Room of Dreams at The Scottish Gallery, 2002Photography Shannon Tofts. Courtesy of Ruthin Craft Centre

The Red Queen

This ring set was made for the Red Queen from Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, to reflect her unpredictable temperament and imposing presence.

Sold by The Scottish Gallery to a private collection

The Red Queen, Set of 22 rings. 18ct yellow gold with garnetson a red anodised aluminium stand, 19.5 x 4.8cm, 2001/02.Photo George Gammer

White Rings for a Nude Lying in a White Bed, private collectionSet of 12 rings, 1996-97, 18ct white gold with marble. Photo by Bob Cramp

Wendy Ramshaw Selected Publications

Picasso’s Ladies, 1999160 pages. Hardback publication in full colour presenting a collection of works by Wendy Ramshaw inspired by Picasso’s paintings of his wives, mistresses and friends. Arnoldsche Art PublishersISBN 9783925369803

The Paper Jewelery Collection, 200040 pages. A cut out and self-assembly collection of over 20 wearables in paper.Wendy Ramshaw and David Watkins; Thames & Hudson, LondonISBN 0-500-51019-9

The Big Works, 2004163 pages. Paper back in full colour illustrating site specific large scale installations.ISBN 84-607-9944-1

A Life’s Partnership, 2009280 pages. Hardback publication in full colour. A survey of the life and work of David Watkins and Wendy Ramshaw.Available to purchase from The Scottish Gallery £25.00

Rooms of Dreams, 2012208 pages. This hardback, casebound publication provides a unique insight into the fifty year career of this leading British designer. Indepth interviews, expert essays and sumptuous photography in this publication beautifully accompany the exhibi-tion ‘Wendy Ramshaw: Rooms of Dreams’, a Harley Gallery touring exhibition in partnership with Ruthin Craft Centre.Available to purchase from The Scottish Gallery £25.00

Work In Selected Public CollectionsAbbot Hall Gallery, Kendal (Uk)Art Gallery Of South Australia, Adelaide (Australia)Art Gallery Of Western Australia, Perth (Australia)Australian National Gallery, Canberra (Australia)Birmingham City Art Gallery, Birmingham (Uk)Broadfield House Glass Museum, Stourbridge (Uk)Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institute, New York (Usa)The Corning Museum Of Glass (Usa)The Crafts Council, London (Uk)Helen Williams Drutt Collection Of Modern Jewellery (Usa)Kundstindustrimuseet, Oslo (Norway)Liverpool Museum & Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (Uk)Musëe Des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (France)Museum Of Modern Art, Kyoto (Japan)Museum Fur Kunst Und Gewerbe, Hamburg (Germany)National Gallery Of Victoria (Australia)National Museum Of Wales, Cardiff (Uk)Die Neue Sammlung, Munich (Germany)Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseet, Trondheim (Norway)Philadelphia Museum Of Art, Philadelphia (Usa)Powerhouse, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)Princessehof Museum (Holland)Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh (Uk)Schmuckmuseum, Pforzheim (Germany)Science Museum, London (Uk)Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (Holland)Victoria & Albert Museum, London (Uk)Worshipful Company Of Goldsmiths, London (Uk)

Public Collections

Born in 1939, Wendy Ramshaw is an international champion of modern jewellery. Her signature Ringsets are represented in over 70 public collections worldwide. Ramshaw’s work also encompasses designs for textiles, screens, gateways and sculpture.

Universe 1797, 2007, blown glass,45 cm h. Purchased by the National Museums of Scotland from A Journey Through Glass at The Scottish Gallery, 2007

Prospero’s Table, 2004. Photo by Shannon Tofts

Prospero’s TableInspired by reading Shakespear’s The Tempest, Prospero’s Table builds on the magic, mystery and brilliance of Room of Dreams, creating a charmed setting for some exceptional jewels.

Prospero’s Table is in the permanent collection of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas

Prospero’s TableInspired by reading Shakespear’s The Tempest, Prospero’s Table builds on the magic, mystery and brilliance of Room of Dreams, creating a charmed setting for some exceptional jewels.

Prospero’s Table is in the permanent collection of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas

Prospero’s Table, 2004. Photo by Shannon Tofts

Rooms of Dreams. Photo courtesy of Ruthin Craft Centre, 2012