The Undying Fire of Francis Cargeeg

 

Cornish metalwork flourished in the late 19th century, encouraged by the Arts and Crafts movement against the rising industrialisation being seen across the country. It also provided an alternative income, particularly for fishermen at times when the weather was poor, or simply there were no fish to be caught. The towns of Newlyn and Hayle became renowned for copper works at this time. 

 

Francis Cargeeg was born in Hayle in 1893 at the start of this movement. He began producing metal wares in the 1930s after working for the Cornish metalworkers J & F Pool and Charles Eustace. Whilst learning from the techniques of others before him, he brought his own approach to the craft through the recurring use of Celtic motifs. He was passionate about Cornwall and its heritage and he showed this in every piece of his work. 

 

 

Whilst other metalworkers made features of the rivets and seams joining their different metal pieces together, Cargeeg chose instead to work each time with just one single sheet of copper.

This fascinating video of him in his workshop in the 1950s highlights this highly skilled technique of raising forms from a single piece of metal.

Twisting the metal in one hand, he uses the other to hammer the surface, carefully creating simple but attractive forms. Cargeeg preferred to work with copper over any other metals, thanks to its stunning reflections once hammered and the warm tones it produced when it caught the light.

 

Cargeeg’s output was intentionally small, limiting the styles he produced so he could hone and perfect his skills. However, he was proud to become bard of the Cornish Gorsedd in the 1960s, during which time he created the unique and elaborate one-off ceremonial pieces including crowns and plastrons which are still used today. You can view images here of the Gorsedd regelia made by Cargeeg. His Cornish bardic name ‘TAN DYVAROW’ translates to ‘undying fire’. 

 

A true creative, Cargeeg also turned to painting later in life, but is rightly remembered today for his contribution to the craft of metalwork and as an advocate for keeping Cornish traditions alive. 

 

 

We are excited to have five special pieces by Cargeeg in our upcoming antiques sale, all with family provenance. Each one wonderfully displaying his Celtic style, from swirling scrolls unfurling around a circular mirror pane, to hand wrought bowls with delicate hammered surfaces and a copper pot and cover with repousse decorated spiral motifs. 

 

 

 

 

We would like to thank Colin Pill the author of Cornish Art Metalwork, for the insightful overview of Francis Cargeeg in his book, which helped to form this blog.