Dublin Castle's forgotten artisans celebrated in ‘The Metal stamp'd by honest Fame’: gold and silver boxes, 1662-1830 Exhibition

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is delighted to announce the launch of the book by Damian Collins which accompanies The Metal stamp'd by honest Fame’: gold and silver boxes exhibition at Dublin Castle. This exhibition sheds light on the works of the mostly forgotten artisans who

worked in the small streets surrounding Dublin Castle during the Georgian era. This exhibition is the first to explore and present these works. The exhibition presents the exquisite bespoke boxes made of gold and silver by these talented artisans. These boxes were crafted for Dukes, Earls, and other significant figures, showcasing the artisans' skill and attention to detail. From heroes to villains, the boxes were created for a wide range of notable individuals, including Edmund Burke, Henry Grattan, Luke Gardiner, Viscount Castlereagh, naval captains who fought the French, a city merchant who confronted Robert Emmet, and Henry Johnson, the victor in the bloodiest battle of 1798.

Image: Metal Stamp'd exhibition 2

In addition to displaying the artisans' creations, the exhibition highlights their inventiveness and ingenuity. Visitors will have the opportunity to admire sumptuous artefacts, such as the bejewelled gold Rathdowne box from 1823, which have not been seen in Dublin for centuries. In addition to loans from Irish collections the artefacts have been brought back to Dublin from the US, UK, and continental Europe. The exhibition reveals Georgian Dublin as a vibrant place where hierarchical deference, civic politics, personal ostentation, sentimental attachment, anxieties about invasion and rebellion all found expression in small, exquisitely made boxes.

The exhibition is currently on display in Dublin Castle and will run until 31 March 2025. For further information, please go to the Heritage Ireland website.