A Devlin of an Artist

Prior to ‘cashless covid commerce’ most of us have unknowingly handled Australian gold and silversmith Stuart Devlin’s most enduring artistic creations. Devlin designed Australia’s first decimal coinage system which was introduced in 1966. With the exception of the copper feathertail glider one cent piece and the copper frill-necked lizard two cent piece (both phased out in 1991), Devlin’s currency is still in circulation.

Stuart Devlin (1931-2018) was born in Geelong and was one of four sons to his painter and decorator father, Richard, and housemaid mother, Jessie. Displaying a particular aptitude for art, metalwork and geometry, Devlin spent two years as an ecclesiastical brass worker before training as a teacher. In the early 1950s he taught art in Wangaratta.

In 1957, Devlin enrolled in a Diploma of Art in gold and silversmithing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and completed the usually three-year course in a year, gaining the highest marks ever awarded. This resulted in a travel scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London and subsequent Harkness Fellowship to pursue silversmithing and sculpture at Columbia University in New York from 1960-62.

Returning to Australia in 1963, Devlin was appointed inspector of art schools but soon resigned to lecture at the University of Melbourne where he was commissioned to design and make the university’s ceremonial mace. Winning the competition to design Australia’s decimal coinage led to Devlin establishing himself in London where he supervised the cutting of the dies for the Australian currency at the Royal Mint.

As well as designing the decimal coins, Devlin was responsible for many commissions including the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games coins and the medals for the founding awards of the Australian honours system – the Order of Australia, the Australian Bravery Decorations and the National Medal.

The move to London marked the beginning of Devlin’s own particular style which was often realised in the form of limited editions to acknowledge celebrations like Easter or Christmas. These exquisite objects displayed a wide variety of textures and filigree forms devised by Devlin. Ultimately, Devlin became Prime Warden of the Goldsmith’s Company in 1996 and was granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment as Goldsmith and Jeweller to Her Majesty the Queen.

The National Gallery of Victoria has 61 works by Devlin in the collection including: spoons, cutlery, goblets, ‘Surprise eggs’ and two of his ‘Christmas boxes’ series: ‘Ten surprise boxes: Christmas carols’ and ‘Twelve Christmas boxes’ (featuring designs for the carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas).

The English carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, was published as part of a children’s book, Mirth without Mischief, in 1780 as a chant or rhyme and is thought to have originated in France. The tune we are familiar with is by English composer, Frederic Austin, who adapted a traditional folk melody in 1909.

The twelve days in the song begin with Christmas Day and conclude with the day before Epiphany – the last day of the Christmas festivities. The exact origin and meaning of the rhyme/song are unknown but Mark Lawson-Jones in Why was the Partridge in the Pear Tree?: The History of Christmas Carols (2011) suggests that it probably originated from a children’s memory and forfeit game which was played on Twelfth Night. Participants were required to repeat a verse of poetry recited by the leader with those making an error required to pay a penalty in the form of a confection or a kiss.

There have been many suggestions about the significance of the gifts ranging from: representing the food or sport for each month of the year to being a version of the catechism during the period of Catholic repression.

Since 1984, the cumulative costs of the 364 items in the song have been used as a whimsical economic indicator – a custom begun and maintained by the PNC Bank. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the true cost of Christmas is believed to have decreased by 58.5% in 2020 due to the cancellation of many live performances (no dancing ladies, leading lords, piping pipers or drummers drumming) and is currently thought to be $16,168.14 USD.

Many singers have recorded versions of the carol ranging from Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters (1949) to The Muppets (1979) to The Goanna Gang (2002). However, my favourite ‘take’ on The Twelve Days of Christmas was written by Brian Sibley and performed by Penelope Keith on BBC Radio 4 in 1977. ‘…And Yet Another Partridge in a Pear Tree’ can be heard on: https://soundcloud.com/brian-sibley/and-yet-another-partridge-in-a

While listening to the increasingly exasperated Ms Keith, perhaps we might enjoy imagining one of Stuart Devlin’s extraordinary creations – described as ‘the work of a magician’ and ‘pieces that add delight, surprise, intrigue and even amusement … within the ‘modern’ idiom of design’ – nestled awaiting unwrapping under our Christmas Trees!