Bud Vase with Long Cylindrical Neck

James Holmes, Deborah Doane, Bud Vase with Long Cylindrical Neck, 1992, blown glass, 9 x 4 ³⁄₄ in. diam. (23.0 x 12.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of MCI, 2001.89.22.2

Artwork Details

Title: Bud Vase with Long Cylindrical Neck
Artists: James Holmes
Deborah Doane
Date: 1992
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
Luce Foundation Center
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4th Floor
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53A
Dimensions: 9 x 4 ³⁄₄ in. diam. (23.0 x 12.1 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of MCI
Mediums Description: blown glass
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Glass
Object Number: 2001.89.22.2
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2001.89.22.2

Artwork Description

Deborah Doane and James Holmes started making bud vases shortly after they opened the Chatham Glass Company, in Chatham, Massachusetts. Holmes credits the brightly colored vases for launching the success of their business, which makes both functional and sculptural pieces. Holmes and Doane designed the pieces together, and Holmes blew the delicate vessels using traditional techniques—working the glass to temperatures in excess of 2000 degrees Fahrenheit before shaping the object at the end of a blowpipe. The artists cite organic forms and their coastal environment as inspirations for their work, which is particularly evident in this vase: its base recalls sea urchins with their dotted spines.