Would Blue Boy from the Blue Boy Set

Howard Kottler, Would Blue Boy from the Blue Boy Set, 1969, porcelain, silver, and applied decals, 1 ¹⁄₄ x 10 ⁷⁄₈ in. (3.2 x 27.6 cm.) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Howard Kottler Testamentary Trust, 1991.194.4D

Artwork Details

Title: Would Blue Boy from the Blue Boy Set
Artist: Howard Kottler
Date: 1969
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
Luce Foundation Center
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4th Floor
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53B
Dimensions: 1 ¹⁄₄ x 10 ⁷⁄₈ in. (3.2 x 27.6 cm.) diam.
Credit Line: Gift of the Howard Kottler Testamentary Trust
Mediums: silver
porcelain
Mediums Description: porcelain, silver, and applied decals
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Subjects: Figure male — full length
Object Number: 1991.194.4D
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1991.194.4D

Artwork Description

Howard Kottler made a pun on the word “would” by covering the plate with a decal of wood grain. His use of these fake wood-grain decals follows his desire not to feel limited by the appearance and nature of the clay (Patricia Failing, Howard Kottler: Face to Face, 1995).