David McCarty
Objet D'Art maker

Gordon Hamme spoke to David and Clare McCarty.

From 1973 through to 1998 David McCarty created some of the most extraordinary and exotic objet d'art the world has ever seen. Demand was driven by the salesmanship of the London stores Asprey and Garrard to the world's wealthiest clientele. But in 1998 the market abruptly fell apart.

For over thirty years under the management of the master craftsman David McCarty objet d'art treasures have been made bringing together the skills of designers, engine-turners, engineers, enamellers, lapidaries, smallworkers, setters and polishers. He inspires these diverse people to interpret his ideas into reality, which at every stage of production can take many months.

David McCarty served his apprenticeship at Wright and Davies, which was the London Cartier workshop. He set up McCabe McCarty in 1973 with Peter McCabe, McCarty being the goldsmith and McCabe the engraver. The business grew by supplying the major London West End shops and dealers with objet d'art generally destined for the Far and Middle East. McCarty, then as now, works closely with these suppliers of objet d'art to make sure they are making pieces which are exactly what their customers desire. Objet d'art of the type made by McCabe McCarty generally reflected the interests and hobbies of the potential buyers, which often involved making speculative pieces that the customer would seemingly buy on a whim. McCarty often incorporated in these pieces a mechanical or electrical process to astonish and surprise the customer.

Cherry Blossom Egg

18ct gold pink and black egg, on a black obsidian base. Set with diamonds, sapphire, ruby and emerald. The egg has four clocks on each side of it, and will electronically rotate at the press of a button to tell the desired time. Diamond quality D to F, Flawless to VVS.

Gold weight – 3154 grams

Diamond weight – 210.15cts

Sapphire weight – 0.66cts

Ruby weight – 0.30cts

Emerald weight – 0.31cts

Dimensions: 189mm x 189mm (Diameter of base) x 39300 (height)

McCarty knowing the taste of a particular potentate built and then sold a gold, enamel and precious-stone set model Chinook helicopter which raised and lowered itself on a mechanical arm, whilst making the sound of the helicopter taking off.

Another piece, also made speculatively, was a large watch-storage box with twelve individual compartments, supplied with an electronic remote control system for individually opening the compartments. The eventual buyer got into the habit of allowing guests to choose an individual compartment which would “win” them an expensive, or sometimes less expensive, wristwatch – sometimes a Rolex; sometimes not. This fabulous box was made from 14 kilos of 18ct gold, decorated in red and black enamel and set with brilliant-cut white diamonds.

Ice Bucket with tongs

18ct yellow gold with blue and green plique a jour enamel, set with diamonds.

Gold weight – 4821 grams

Diamond weight 6.11cts

Dimensions: 320mm (height) x 210mm (diameter)

Another famous McCabe McCarty piece, exhibited at the Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Exhibition, was an 18ct gold, enamel and precious-stone set Harley-Davidson motorbike, entirely to scale, which had mechanical turning wheels and flashing lights. This fantastic piece was later purchased by an American collector.

McCabe McCarty was a regular exhibitor at the prestigious international Basle Fair in Switzerland. This is the premier fair for the most fabulous jewellery pieces and objet d'art in the world.

I asked McCarty about the legend that on the first morning of most Basle Fairs he would sell everything and then go and play golf for the rest of the week. He said this was certainly not true, as in one year he had sold everything the day before.

Clare McCarty explained, ‘In the 1990s a great deal of the demand for our work came from one particular customer. His sponsorships and hobbies dictated the pieces which McCabe McCarty made. He wanted and bought the best; money was not an issue. Typically he commissioned gift sets of a gold pen, penknife and key-ring for each of the members of the sports team he sponsored, all enamelled in his colours, and as corporate giveaways.' In addition, he commissioned gold spy gadgets, pagers, lighters, pill boxes, desk sets, picture frames, military models and eggs, generally in gold and often set with the finest diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Clare commented, ‘He had created a one-man market.' All this work did not just affect McCabe McCarty, who in reality were only getting a fraction of the work being created, but also many craftsmen-outworkers throughout southern England.

And then for political reasons, the demand stopped. It all came to a crashing halt.

After the crash.

The upshot of the aftermath was a lack of demand for highly decorated objet d'art and also as a consequence of the lack of orders there was a flood of objet d'art pieces onto the market from France and also Asprey and Garrard in London.

Since then the company has restructured and moved to new premises. David McCarty looked at the high end of mass produced silverware but this did not seem to suit his company. Clare explained, ‘We now give a highly personal service to clients who want one-off pieces. As the new company, now called David McCarty, we have retained all the skills of McCabe McCarty. In recent years there has been a quiet comeback of demand for beautiful individual pieces where craftsmanship is paramount. The way we produce has changed but the final results are just as magnificent. Clare finally commented, ‘The silversmithing and allied skills in the UK have depleted. Many of the previous craftsmen have either set up their own workshops or left the trade. This may eventually result in a stronger industry, less reliant on just a few workshops and with each craftsman establishing a different market niche. At the moment we are very busy with orders for the Middle East. David McCarty is developing private clients and still making fantastic objet d'art – we've come back and re-established ourselves.'

Carousel

This superb McCabe McCarty Carousel is 500mm in height and 290mm in diameter made in 18ct gold with a plique a jour enamel top. It has four double-sided photo frames and four draws in the obsidian base. The photo frames rotate at the press of a button along with the whole object. A small bulb illuminates the enamel work from within. The carousel is set with over 13 carats of sapphires, 9 carats of emeralds, 12 carats of rubies and diamonds.
Gold weight – 4084 grams
Diamond weight – 194.02cts

The highest accolade –
McCabe McCarty - Top Prize winner

Each year in January the Goldmsiths' Craft & Design Council Competition celebrates the country's finest craftsmen and women. There are particular categories which award prizes for an individual's skills excellence such as engraving or enamelling. But there is one prize, which is not always awarded, for the piece which embodies all the skills of the finest craftsmen and that extra intangible which elevates the piece into a work of art. McCabe McCarty won this prize, the Jaques Cartier Memorial Award, no less than four times.

Engine Turning dates back to the 18th Century even at that time reaching a remarkable level of complexity. It has many more features than the common lathe - continuous forward motion, screw cutting, fixed toolpost and slide and the ability to imitate rosettes & racks.With the addition of several specialised chucks to the machines, such as a pen or an oval attachment these machines had become one of the most sophisticated turning tools ever invented.

In the 1800's Engine Turning played a huge part in security printing, such as designs on bank notes the breakthrough being in 1840 when the rose engine supplied the background to the world's first adhesive postage stamp - The Penny Black. However, by the turn of the 20th century machines were virtually confined to the jewellery trade.