For the completeness of the art-historical record, I thought that my masters and teachers might like to see the Gary Animal Street Devils, Set 15. They are in copper.



The design of these cups approaches perfection, and the workmanship is superb. They fit the hand like a glove, their weight is perfect, and they stack like a dream, with a delightful bell-like clang.

To give you an idea of their prodigious size, here is another picture:



It will be a long time before my skills in handling them will begin to do justice to the thought and care that have gone into them. But I am grateful to their designer and maker for allowing me to have them, and to the friends who led me to them and helped me to acquire them.

SWEEEET!!

I'm speechless!!

Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

These are absolutely magnificent! Thanks so much for posting and sharing them with the lot of us here mate!
All the best,

It has taken longer than I expected, but I have something to show my masters and teachers here.

Take a look at Set Number 15 in its new dress:



Those are the only nickel-plated Gary Animal Street Devils in the world (or were in December, anyway.)

Here's another picture:



I worried over this project for a long time. First of all, I sought the permission of the maker for making this alteration. Gary was enthusiastic.

But I did think twice about giving them a shiny exterior. Previously, I had painted the interior of my first set of cups red, fearing that the shiny surface would give a tell, particularly if the cup is placed mouth up. I hadn't worried so much about the exterior.

But then I had to confront what the magisterial Al Schneider writes in his recent book: "The cups should not be smooth and shiny. The problem is that smooth and shiny surfaces reflect the contents of the hand when the cup is being picked up or placed onto the table. The surface can reflect the contents of the hand like a mirror enabling someone at the right position to see the ball clearly, as if it were lying on the table."

That comment did give me pause, but I decided to go ahead with this project. I still wanted a larger set of nickel-plated cups to go with a set of Sherwoods.

I don't get out much, but enlisted a friend of mine to visit local nickel plating shops. He found an industrial outfit that was willing to take on the job, batching it with other small items from other customers in order to hold down the set-up costs.

I have to say that I am delighted with the results. Here's another picture with a little more paraphernalia added for context:



In order to show the nickel plating shop what I wanted, I asked my friend to show them one of the Sherwood cups. And I am pleased to report, that the nickel-plating expert thought that the work on the Sherwood cups was superb. Almost unbelievable. He said that it was hard to believe that the Sherwood cup was nickel-plated and not silver or German-silver plated. In addition, he said that the interior plating of the Sherwood cup was remarkable, and that it would be impossible for his shop to reproduce interior nickel plating of that quality.

So in addition to embellishing the impeccable artistry of the Gary Animal cups with a novel and enchanting appearance (I hope you will agree!), I can also give you an impartial and objective professional's opinion of the superb artistry and workmanship of Brett Sherwood's cups.

In case anybody here didn't already know!

I am still not finished with these cups.

I would like to give them an interior like the interior of a Queen Conch Shell, but I have not found the right nacreous paint, nor the proper technique, to achieve that - yet. I have also considered giving them a flocked interior, that might further deaden sounds.

One final picture for you, showing that the local expert shop was in fact unable to produce an interior as thickly coated and as shiny as a Sherwood cup:



Hope you enjoy!

Magnificent!

WOW!

They are beautiful!!