Arts and Crafts Gong
These arts and crafts gong selections combine sturdy oak and wrought iron frameworks with resonant brass and copper plates, offering an authentic period call to dinner.
What They Are
An arts and crafts gong serves as a striking domestic instrument, designed to summon households to meals with a deep, resonant tone. Most examples take the form of table gongs or standing floor pieces featuring a suspended metal disc or bowl.
The pieces on this page span the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, carrying the distinct aesthetic of the Arts and Crafts movement alongside Gothic revival and Art Nouveau influences. Oak, walnut, and various mixed woods provide the structural frames, paired with striking metalwork.
Makers utilised contrasting materials to create visual harmony, suspending brass, copper, and bronze discs from sturdy wooden or forged iron supports. Cord and textile elements frequently secure the suspended metal components within their frames.
How They Were Made
Makers fashioned the supporting stands from solid hardwoods such as oak and walnut, alongside forged wrought iron, cast iron, and carved copper. Woodworkers employed traditional joinery techniques to ensure the frames could safely bear the weight and vibrations of the hanging metal.
The striking discs and bowls typically consist of hammered brass, polished copper, or cast bronze, often displaying visible hand-beaten marks from the maker's hammer. Cordage and textile straps suspend the metal elements, allowing them to swing freely and maintain resonance.
Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical UK retail prices for arts and crafts gong, calculated from the Sellingantiques database of over a million retail prices indexed since 2003. This retail price guide relies exclusively on Sellingantiques data; no external sources or auction records are used, so the figures do not describe the wider market.
The recorded periods span the nineteenth century, the Victorian era, and the year 1900.
What Varies in Quality
The distinction between standard production and finer studio work rests upon the depth of hand-craftsmanship in both the metal disc and the wooden frame. Superior examples display thoughtful proportions, integrated architectural or organic motifs, and substantial gauges of hammered copper or brass.
Attention to detail in the framing distinguishes better pieces, particularly where hand-forging meets carefully selected timber. The quality of the suspension cord and the sustained resonance of the metal further mark out the more accomplished objects.
J. and F. Pool of Hayle
The Arts and Crafts Gong Glossary
- Dinner Gong
- A resonant metal plate or bowl suspended in a frame and struck with a mallet to announce meals. These domestic instruments became popular in larger Victorian and Edwardian households.
- Wrought Iron
- Iron heated and hammered into shape by hand, leaving characteristic surface textures. This material provides strong, slender structural supports for heavy metal discs.
- Gothic Revival
- An architectural and decorative style drawing inspiration from medieval forms. Pieces in this idiom often feature pointed arches and heavy timber framing.
- Art Nouveau
- A decorative style characterised by flowing, organic lines and stylised natural motifs. This aesthetic appears in the curved ironwork and flowing mounts of later gongs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play an arts and crafts gong?
You strike the suspended metal disc or bowl with a dedicated mallet to produce a deep, resonant tone.
The sound carries well across rooms, which explains their historical use for calling residents to the dining table.
What materials make up these gongs?
The structural frames typically consist of solid oak, walnut, wrought iron, or cast iron.
The suspended plates and bowls are almost universally formed from hammered brass, polished copper, or bronze.
Are these pieces strictly Victorian?
Many examples date from the Victorian era and the broader nineteenth century, reflecting the height of the Gothic revival.
Production also extends into the early twentieth century, with some pieces embracing Art Nouveau styling.
How do you hang the metal disc?
Original pieces use sturdy cord or textile straps threaded through the metal plate and tied to the frame.
This method allows the metal to vibrate freely without dampening the sound against the wood or iron.