William Morris encouraged WAS Benson to set up his own metal workshop in 1880. In 1882, Benson established a foundry in Hammersmith and in about 1887, a shop in Bond Street. This copper and brass teapot was made around the 1890s, it appears as No.693 in WAS Benson’s ‘Catalogue of Metalware’, 1899/1900. It was often important for Arts and Crafts objects to look hand-crafted, but WAS Benson’s metalwork was unashamedly machine-made.
Benson was a founder member of the Art Workers’ Guild, established in 1884. Following the death of William Morris in 1896, he became Managing Director of Morris & Co. (for whom he also designed furniture and wallpaper). WAS Benson played an important role in exporting the Arts and Crafts Movement abroad. His work was popular in Europe and sold through Samuel Bing’s famous Paris shop, ‘L’Art Nouveau’.
