The Peter Coke Shell Gallery, Sheringham, Norfolk
Peter Coke when playing Paul Temple
The Artist
Peter Coke was born in Southsea in 1913 and was a member of a branch of the distinguished Norfolk family made famous first in the 17th century by the influential Lord Chief Justice, Sir Edward Coke and in the following century by "Coke of Norfolk", the agricultural pioneer of Holkham Hall.
His early years were spent in Kenya, where his father was a coffee farmer. He later returned to England to attend the progressive Stowe School. He had six careers throughout his long life.
1. Consular official (briefly).
2. Actor, achieving lasting fame as Paul Temple in the radio serials by Francis Durbridge.
3. Playwright, with many successes to his credit, including "Breath of Spring".
4. Army officer during World War II.
5. Antique dealer, with a shop in the King's Road, Chelsea, for many years.
6. Shell artist extraordinaire.
Even as a young actor he had started to collect antiques. Later, in his shop, he had a number of Sailor Valentines, eight-sided arrangements of shells which 18th century sailors were said to have made on the return journey from the West Indies for their wives and girlfriends back home (though often they bought them ready made). During visits to friends in Barbados he was able to collect shells to repair examples which were damaged, and from this he progressed to making reproductions of Sailor Valentines. This led to a fascination with the amazing variety of shapes and colours in which seashells, especially from tropical waters, are found.
In 1976 he "retired" to North Norfolk where he re-established his antiques business at Sharrington Hall, near Holt. Having collected shells as a hobby for so many years, and having experimented with various ways of using them decoratively, he spent increasing amounts of his time in this activity until, in his early 80's, he was persuaded by friends to mount the first of what became a series of exhibitions of his work in London. These were a great success, with about half the pieces on display usually being sold at prices far greater than he had originally imagined. His work has been purchased by many well-known customers in the arts and entertainments world and by members of the royal family. Eventually, he turned his antiques show-room into a shell-art gallery and devoted all his time to his art.
Peter Coke died on 30th July 2008 at the age of 95. He was still working on his sculptures until a few weeks before.
Classic flower sculpture
The Artworks
Shells have always fascinated humans and were among the earliest objects to be used decoratively by our distant ancestors, in particular for bodily adornment. They are in themselves beautiful objects, competing with flowers, birds and butterflies in the spectacular profusion of their colours and shapes. Unlike these competitors they retain their colours almost indefinitely and provided that their former occupants have died naturally, no ethical problems arise from collecting them.
When the early navigators started to bring back seashells to Europe from their voyages in tropical seas, there was an explosion of interest in them. Many National Trust properties contain examples from the 18th and 19th centuries of their extensive use in decoration (National Trust Magazine, Summer 2007, p 33) and many examples exist of shell work produced by refined Victorian ladies.
Peter Coke, through his extensive knowledge of shells and the shell-art techniques used by earlier generations, built on these traditions and took them to levels of sophistication not previously seen. The quantity and variety of his output are amazing and (to be both sexist and ageist) it is incredible that work of such delicacy was produced by a man of advanced years. His work ranged from two-dimensional geometric arrangements, such as the Sailor Valentines on which he began, to shell pictures in the Chinese style, to shell encrusted boxes, obelisks and figures and finely detailed model garden scenes in three dimensions. His principal output, however, and that to which the art-form is arguably most suited, was in the representation of floral subjects, sometimes as individual blooms and occasionally as complex arrangements in a profusion of colours and forms. All the colours are natural - unlike many Victorian predecessors he did not artificially colour his shells.
This is an unusual art-form, contrasting strongly with most of today's conceptual and abstract art which receives wide coverage in the media. Like all art, it will not appeal to everyone, but no-one could dispute its visual impact and technical brilliance. There are very few practitioners of this art-form in Britain, though some are to be found in the United States, and it will probably become increasingly rare as time progresses, partly because of difficulties in sourcing the shells.
Inside the Shell Gallery
The Gallery
Peter Coke had been hoping for some time that, instead of being dispersed to collectors, a substantial body of work representing the range of his output would be available for the public to see. After spending two years searching for a venue which was large enough to house the collection, the opportunity arose to base it in part of the former longshore fishermen's sheds at Westcliff, Sheringham, recently restored by Sheringham Preservation Society and approximately 12 miles from his home. The collection of over 100 shell-art creations, all the work of Peter Coke, was generously donated by him to the Preservation Society, on condition that it is permanently displayed.
For the 2008 Summer season it will open from 1st May to the end of September, each week from Wednesday to Saturday inclusive, 12 noon to 4.00 pm.
Westcliff is at the seaward end of Morris Street, where a public car park can be found, a short walk from the gallery. It can also be reached easily from the West Promenade (turn left at the seaward end of the High Street by the Two Lifeboats Hotel), being attached to the Fishermen's Heritage Centre, close to the concrete bridge over the Fishermen's Slope or West Slipway. The admission charge is £1.50 for adults, £1.00 concessions, and accompanied children under16, 50p. To arrange a group visit (reduced charges), telephone 01263 824343. We endeavour to open at advertised times, but occasionally the gallery may be closed because of circumstances beyond our control.
An intricate garden made of tiny shells
The Reviews
The following are reviews of and comments on Peter Coke's exhibitions in London.
Numerous pieces of exquisite shell work. His flower arrangements are undisputedly the most popular and rank among the finest in the world. Country Homes and Interiors
Decorative objects each encrusted with fabulously coloured shells. The Times
A National Living Treasure…… We decided to celebrate some of Britain's great craftsmen of which Peter Coke is one. Country Life
Wonderful art. The Daily Telegraph
Rococo treasures. Interiors
Superb delicate creations. Eastern Daily Press
The most exquisite decorative objects…. He creates a stream of shell masterpieces. Home Antiques
Shells of unimaginably glorious hues of orange, purple, mauve, green and apple blossom pink. Weekend Telegraph
Went to Mount Street to see Peter Coke's remarkable shell work; the flower arrangements are superb, his patience and skill are staggering. Sir Alec Guinness in his autobiography, "My Name Escapes Me"
For a specialist review of the exhibits on display in the Peter Coke Shell Gallery, Sheringham, with illustrations, refer to www.britishshellclub.org.uk, click on Articles, then select the one headed Peter Coke Shell Museum by Selina Williams (but for current opening times ,remember to refer to details in 'The Gallery' above).