Artwork Details
- Title
- Butte C‑2
- Artist
- Date
- 1993
- Location
- Dimensions
- 3 x 7 3⁄4 x 2 3⁄4 in. (7.7 x 19.6 x 7.0 cm)
- Copyright
- © 1993, Billie Jean Theide
- Credit Line
- Gift of the Diane and Sandy Besser Collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Mediums Description
- copper
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 2002.70.15A-B
Artwork Description
Billie Jean Theide fashioned this teapot design after the rugged rock formations of the American West, but it also resembles an ancient artifact that might have been unearthed from the seabed. The powdery green patina on the surface, which forms when the metal is exposed to moist air or salt, emphasizes this excavated appearance. The teapot’s solid, looming silhouette evokes a giant ironclad, cutting through the water with its “spout” leading the way like a rusty cannon.