Glass & Giftware Engraving

Peter Russell:

Biography of a Master Craftsman

Peter Russell spent seven years as an apprentice hand engraver at one of the top firms in London’s prestigious Hatton Garden in the 1950’s.  So strict and thorough was his apprenticeship that he wasn’t allowed to actually produce an item until the fourth year of his studies! Peter went on to create a successful engraving business thirty-seven years ago that continues to thrive today.  He trains his staff to embrace various

engraving methods to suit different types of material, from sandblasting to diamond point engraving of metals. Peter’s expertise in the engraving trade and highly-specialised hand engraving has provided Peter Russell Engravers with its excellent reputation.  From a business point of view, Peter can engrave objects that no machine can, such as freehand designs and lettering,  specializing in hand engraving inside rings and bangles.  However,  it is in his artwork that Peter’s craftsmanship becomes apparent, particularly when his choice of materials extended to include glass as well as gold and silver.

A member of The Guild of Glass Engravers, Peter has won many awards for his work on cased glass (layered coloured glass).  This slow and meticulous work is a labour of love for Peter, but it could hardly have gone unnoticed, as the pictures of his work demonstrate. Amongst other awards he has won the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers Award at the Castle Howard exhibition in 1995 and numerous awards at Goldsmith's Hall, London for his Cameo Cutting skills.

He has also completed various commissions for Rolls Royce and, possibly most impressively, was invited in 1997 to 10 Downing Street.  The Prime Minister’s headquarters holds the best of British art and craftsmanship but the green cased goblet engraved with the Royal Crest that Peter engraved was the first piece of glassware ever to be accepted there.

   We hope that you enjoy these images of some of Peter’s work.

   Click on each image for a closer look.

1997 - Accepted by 10 Downing Street. Commended at Goldsmith's Hall Green Cased Goblet 8" Made by Neil Wilkin Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell	Close up of the Green Cased Goblet (shown left)	Red Cased Goblet Made by Neil Wilkin Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell
Commended at Goldsmith's Hall Red cased 10" vase Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell	Red Cased 6" bowl Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell	1995 - Winner of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers Award at Castle Howard Blue Cased Vase 8" Made by Neil Wilkin Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell
Eight Jazz stars including the Middle Eight of a well known jazz tune 8" Red Cased Bowl Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell	Leeds City crest on 8" green cased goblet Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell	Close-up of green cased goblet (as shown left)
1996 - Awarded 1st Prize in Cameo Engraving Section of Craftsmanship Design Awards at Goldsmith's Hall, London. Ship interior on outside, porthole pierced with sailing ship on other side Double Cased Goblet 8" blue on red made by Neil Wilkin Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell	Close up of ship/porthole goblet (shown left)	Diamond drill engraving on outer edge: 'and mid their choirs unroofed by selfish rage the warbling wren shall find a leafy cage'. Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds in centre - stipple by diamond point. All engraved by Peter Russell
Durham crest on goblet Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell	Harewood House crest on goblet Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell	Seahorse Crystal Pendant Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell
'The Predators - Cat & Magpie' 8" Red cased straight vase Intaglio engraved and pierced by Peter Russell	'The Predators - Cat & Magpie' A piece of work such as this takes approximately one thousand hours to design, engrave and pierce