HAMMER AND TONGS

Brief description: Stained glass oval panel depicting two medieval characters attacking each other with a hammer and tongs. Designed and made by Karl Parsons, in about 1920.

Stained glass oval panel depicting two male figures in medieval costume attacking one another. The right figure is holding a pair of tongs in his hand and is pulling out the hair of the other figure. The left hand figure has a hammer in his right hand and is striking the knee of his opponent with it. His left hand is pushing against the face of the other man. The background is formed of ruby glass and the figures are dressed in blue, yellow and green. The edge border is formed of beaded white dots. The panel was made c. 1920 and illustrates a comic poem written by the artist, Karl Parsons (1884-1934). 'O hark to the haut-boys [oboes], give ear to the gongs / That sound for the Tourney of Hammer and Tongs / The clang-tankerous sound to which everyone throngs...' At the age of fifteen, Parsons became a pupil-apprentice of Christopher Whall (1849-1924), the leading stained-glass artist and teacher of the Arts and Crafts movement. Parsons later taught at both the Royal College of Art and the Central School of Arts and Crafts.

Object type: stained glass roundel

Number of objects: 1

Production date: circa 1920

Production period: 20th century, early

Designer: Karl Parsons (1884 - 1934)

Manufacturer: Parsons, Karl 1884=1934

Dimensions: Height: 270 mm, Width: 210 mm

Acquisition: bequest 10.6.1990

Acquisition source: Parsons, Margaret

Accession number: ELYGM:1990.6