Jug with Rattlesnake

Copied Michael Crocker, Melvin Crocker, Jug with Rattlesnake, 1994, fired and glazed clay, 12 5⁄8 x 9 3⁄4 x 10 5⁄8 in. (32.1 x 24.8 x 27.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase, 1997.124.152

Artwork Details

Title
Jug with Rattlesnake
Artists
Date
1994
Location
Dimensions
12 5⁄8 x 9 3⁄4 x 10 5⁄8 in. (32.1 x 24.8 x 27.0 cm)
Markings
bottom incised: Michael A. Crocker/+/Melvin S. Crocker/1994
Credit Line
Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
fired and glazed clay
Classifications
Keywords
  • Animal
  • Animal — reptile — snake
Object Number
1997.124.152
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.124.152

Artwork Description

Working with his brother Melvin, Michael Crocker created face jugs, grape pitchers, and snake jugs from local clay and handmade glazes. They started with traditional forms and in Michaels words "pushed them to the limit." (Chuck and Jan Rosenak, Contemporary American Folk Art: A Collector's Guide, 1996) In this piece the snake becomes much more than just decoration. Michael threw the hollow form, and Melvin then modeled the rattlesnake and coiled it around the pot. The brothers worked together until 1999, when Melvin left to set up his own shop.