Irish ‘Celtic’ pokerwork 7-part picture frame, Arms of Irish Provences, Belfast Pokerwork School, c. 1900

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Rare Irish Arts & Crafts picture frame, attributed to the Belfast School of Pokerwork, featuring four square picture frames extending from the corners of the main frame, which contains three portrait places; the whole with pokerwork & colour decoration, with two dragons central supporting two knotted trunks, which grow and spread into a canopy of Irish clover leaves, on which are four heraldic shields containing the Four Provenances of Ireland – Munster, Ulster, Leinster, and Connacht – the sides with a large & ornate section of Celtic knot work.

Circa 1900

29x40cm, square panels take a 7.5×7.5cm print, portraits a 5x8cm (3.8x6cm visible).

Good condition.

The Belfast School of Pokerwork was run by Mina Robinson and along with Eta Lowry, they founded the Irish Decorative Arts Association of Belfast around 1894.

A mirror with this same Celtic knot work incorporating beasts was sold by Roseberys, London, in 2020 (3/11/20, lot 26) , bearing the label of William Rodman & Co. They were framers & mounters of pictures, their premises described as an ‘Artist’s Materials Warehouse’ and ‘Dealers in Works of Art’.

That work is very close to documented examples of Eva McKee’s work, as is this piece. However, it seems Mina Robinson and Eta Lowry were also poker-workers, and their styles may be indistinguishable.

Many larger examples of Celtic pokerwork frames were made at the Belfast School of Pokerwork, which featured female artisans. It is recorded that in 1904 almost all of (famous Irish artist) Percy French’s paintings were exhibited with pokerwork frames decorated by the Association,  at its annual summer show in Portrush, Co. Antrim.

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