Metha

Media - 1996.100 - SAAM-1996.100_1 - 49433
Copied Tod Pardon, Metha, 1996, sterling silver, 14k gold, copper, pigment, simulated ivory horn, wood, beads, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Martha and Pat Connell, 1996.100

Artwork Details

Title
Metha
Artist
Date
1996
Location
Dimensions
6 7⁄8 x 2 1⁄8 x 7⁄8 in. (17.5 x 5.4 x 2.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Martha and Pat Connell
Mediums
Mediums Description
sterling silver, 14k gold, copper, pigment, simulated ivory horn, wood, beads
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure female — full length
  • Abstract
Object Number
1996.100
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1996.100

Artwork Description

Metha is an example of the figural brooches that characterize Tod Pardon’s mature work. This small-scale figure recalls Colima figures of western Mexico and Cycladic art of ancient Greece, and incorporates the leg-wrapping tradition of the Masai warriors of Kenya. By including a display pedestal in the work, Pardon departs from conventional ideas of the function of jewelry. He encourages the viewer to appreciate the formal relationships of color, form, and texture.

Luce Object Quote

“Over the past ten years my work has embraced this duality, of whimsy and fear . . . I find an exquisite irony in using the medium of jewelry, meant to be an expression of beautiful adornment, as a canvas for my ‘bugaboos.’” Tod Pardon