José Chardiet, Rare Earth Wishbone, 1996, glass, paint, copper, 16 1⁄2 x 16 1⁄2 x 7 1⁄2 in. (41.9 x 41.9 x 19.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Sonia and Isaac Luski, 2001.75A-C
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Rare Earth Wishbone
- Artist
- Date
- 1996
- Location
- Dimensions
- 16 1⁄2 x 16 1⁄2 x 7 1⁄2 in. (41.9 x 41.9 x 19.1 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Sonia and Isaac Luski
- Mediums Description
- glass, paint, copper
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Abstract
- Object Number
- 2001.75A-C
Artwork Description
Rare Earth Wishbone is one of a series of José Chardiet’s sculptures that fuse African totems with the intense colors and physical energy of Caribbean folk art. The abstract figure wearing a tall copper collar recalls African talismans of women in childbirth. The figure seems to reach upward even as the “legs” plunge into the red, brown, and green glass of the base, suggesting a cycle of birth, death, and return to the earth.