Balanced Bowl

Alma Eikerman, Balanced Bowl, 1974, sterling silver and red brass, overall: 7 x 7 ¹⁄₄ in. (17.8 x 18.5 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance and museum purchase made possible by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1992.93.1A-B

Artwork Details

Title: Balanced Bowl
Artist: Alma Eikerman
Date: 1974
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: overall: 7 x 7 ¹⁄₄ in. (17.8 x 18.5 cm) diam.
Credit Line: Gift of the James Renwick Alliance and museum purchase made possible by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program
Mediums: silver
brass
Mediums Description: sterling silver and red brass
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Object Number: 1992.93.1A-B
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1992.93.1A-B

Artwork Description

Balanced Bowl expresses the “energy” that Alma Eikerman saw in all organic forms. The base, stem, bowl, and domed lid are asymmetrically shaped to evoke this liveliness, while the contrast between the cool silver of the body and the warm brass of the lid emphasizes the tension between the parts. The modulated surfaces reveal the hammering process, in which Eikerman methodically worked over the entire surface of the soft silver and somewhat stronger brass.