Persimmon Vessel

Copied Jerry Hovanec, Ruthann Renee Uithol, Persimmon Vessel, 1999, blown glass, 7 145 38 in. diam. (18.413.6 cm) irregular, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Annie H. Moore, 2000.108

Artwork Details

Title
Persimmon Vessel
Date
1999
Dimensions
7 145 38 in. diam. (18.413.6 cm) irregular
Credit Line
Gift of Annie H. Moore
Mediums Description
blown glass
Classifications
Object Number
2000.108

Artwork Description

This vessel is part of an on-going series of persimmon-inspired pieces made by husband-and-wife team Jerry Hovanec and Ruthann Renee Uithol. Persimmon Vessel skillfully evokes the berry's wrinkled texture, bulbous shape, and rich red-orange color. The fruit of the American persimmon tree can grow to be six centimeters in diameter and ripens in the late fall or early winter (after the first frost), when the initially astringent flavor becomes sweet and the fruit softens. Hovanec and Uithol remember seeing a fruited tree on a visit to the Warrior's Rest Sanctuary in Calvert County, Maryland, and the contrast of the orange berries against the bright blue sky inspired them to re-create the fruit in glass. The artists hot tool the glass to fashion the stemmed top, and quench the hot glass in water to create the wrinkled texture.