Head Vase with Jagged Hair

Janet Prip, Head Vase with Jagged Hair, 1988, cast bronze with relieved and burnished edges, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1995.42.2, © 1988, Janet Prip
Copied Janet Prip, Head Vase with Jagged Hair, 1988, cast bronze with relieved and burnished edges, 12 x 7 1⁄2 x 3 1⁄8 in. (30.5 x 19.0 x 7.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1995.42.2, © 1988, Janet Prip

Artwork Details

Title
Head Vase with Jagged Hair
Artist
Date
1988
Location
Dimensions
12 x 7 1⁄2 x 3 1⁄8 in. (30.5 x 19.0 x 7.9 cm)
Copyright
© 1988, Janet Prip
Credit Line
Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
Mediums
Mediums Description
cast bronze with relieved and burnished edges
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
  • Figure — head
Object Number
1995.42.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1995.42.2

Artwork Description

Janet Prip has created many "head" vases that show stylized faces. She uses the seams in the metal to form the profile of each face, emphasizing an element of the process that many craftsmen try to conceal. The differences between her head vases are very subtle, but the severe lines of Head Vase with Jagged Hair suggest a male face, while the soft curves of Head Vase with Large Lips (see 1995.42.1) indicate a female profile. Prip plays with different features, such as the arch of a nose or the shape of an eye, to endow each of her pieces with a unique personality.