In 2015 I was lucky enough to be awarded the Turner Medal at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours annual exhibition for my painting titled 'Detail'.
‘Detail’, watercolour, H112.5cm x W143cm
In 1856 J.M.W. Turner bequeathed the sum of £20,000 for a gold medal for landscape painting. The modern version of the medal has been cast in bronze since 1938. This much prized Medal is an annual event organised by the 2 senior watercolour societies, the RI and the RWS. Only 2 medals are struck, engraved and awarded each year. 2015 was the last year the medal was awarded.
By coincidence my obsession with J.M.W. Turner’s work has been a lifelong affair, starting at the age of 7 during a visit to the National Gallery in London with my family. It felt like a direct link to the great man himself and remains very humbling.
The medal was presented to me by RI President Andy Wood in a little black velvet lined box. The medal is weighty to hold in your hand, at 88 grams or just over 3oz. Bearing Turner's austere profile portrait, it has an air of gravitas and is an artefact in its own right. With this in mind, I quickly decided that I would find a presentation box in which to keep it that would be more fitting. My initial thoughts were to look for a small antique box, but everything I looked at or found was either flawed, slightly too big, slightly too small or not the right shape.
I then came across John Evans of Llanddewi, near Swansea, who makes beautiful individually hand crafted wooden boxes, W: https://www.distinctivehandmadeboxes.com/
John says:
I tend to use indigenous British hardwoods as I have more control over the selection and sourcing. I spend a lot of time looking for those unusual pieces that inspire that special box.
All of the boxes (unless otherwise stated in the website section) are signed and numbered on the underside. They are all categorised and catalogued for future reference. By engraving, the box's provenance is assured for the future. I'm sure they will become heirlooms and wonder what people will think in a hundred years!
After discussing the medal with John and my thoughts on the home I was looking to find for it we arrived at this box, made from walnut, which would be ideal in shape, colour and size!
By modifying the inside with a recess lined with suede to fit perfectly, my Turner Medal had found its new home.
After a short wait while the internal alterations were made I received my box along with a certificate of origin and care.
Certificate of Origin and Care
Box No. 0207
The Walnut (Juglans regia) from which this box is made was from a tree that stood in the town of Bothwell near Hamilton in Lanarkshire. It blew over in a January storm.
This trinket box has some lovely natural grain patterns and features. I’ve left all the surfaces flat apart from the natural corner. Beautifully polished and lined with Ecru coloured natural suede with a recess to house the last Turner Medal. The live edge feature make this a beautifully natural box.
Size approx. 110 x 90 x 45mm
The box is finished with lacquer and polished with natural wax - please do not use silicone spray polish on the box. Only use a soft, clean, dry cloth to dust it if necessary. The timber has been dried to suit a centrally heated environment, please keep the box in warm and dry conditions.
All details of the box have been recorded along with your name as the original purchaser and owner.
I hope owning the box gives you as much pleasure as it gave me making it!
It does!