The city of Sheffield is currently paying homage to its rich history in metalworking with a new exhibition at the Millennium Gallery titled Show Your Metal. Featuring over 100 objects crafted from various types of steel, silver, and gold, the display highlights the city’s longstanding association with metal production.
The exhibition’s timing is significant, as it coincides with the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire. Established in 1624 by Parliamentary Act, the guild is dedicated to upholding the high standards and quality of Sheffield-manufactured cutlery and steel products.
According to Emma Paragreen, curator of Metalwork and Industry at Sheffield Museums, the city’s connection with metal dates back even further than the founding of the guild. She explains, “People associate Sheffield with steel, maybe stainless steel, but actually if you go right back to the 12th Century here in Sheffield they were making early knives and ‘thwittles’, as they were called.”
The exhibition features a diverse range of pieces, including loaned works such as Cornelia Parker’s large hanging installation Rorschach (Endless Column III) and specimens created by Harry Brearley, who is credited with producing the world’s first stainless steel in Sheffield in 1913. Contemporary pieces like Acanthus VII by silversmith Shinta Nakajima also add a modern touch to the exhibit.
Show Your Metal is free and open to the public until September 29, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore Sheffield’s rich heritage in metalworking through a captivating array of historical and contemporary objects.
