Earth Beneath Our Feet: Incense Burner #3

Copied Harlan W. Butt, Earth Beneath Our Feet: Incense Burner #3, 2000, silver, brass, and enamel, 4 386 58 in. (11.116.7 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Midwest Enamelist Guild, 2000.45A-B

Artwork Details

Title
Earth Beneath Our Feet: Incense Burner #3
Date
2000
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
4 386 58 in. (11.116.7 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of the Midwest Enamelist Guild
Mediums Description
silver, brass, and enamel
Classifications
Keywords
  • Landscape — plant — water lily
  • Animal — reptile — snake
  • Animal — amphibian — frog
Object Number
2000.45A-B

Artwork Description

This incense burner, or censer, depicts a dramatic moment in a small corner of nature. An incantation on the edge of the lid reads "devour, transformation, metamorphosis." It refers to the fate of the frog about to be taken by the snake in an act that will transform both creatures. The rich enameling on the body of the censer replicates the hypnotic array of scales on the snake's skin, and calls our attention to the beautiful and the terrifying in nature's cycles.