Salt and Pepper Shakers

Charles Sheeler, Salt and Pepper Shakers, ca. 1935, metal, each: 1 1⁄2 x 1 x 1 in. (3.8 x 2.6 x 2.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Edith Halpert, 1968.147A-B

Artwork Details

Title
Salt and Pepper Shakers
Artist
Date
ca. 1935
Location
Dimensions
each: 1 1⁄2 x 1 x 1 in. (3.8 x 2.6 x 2.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Edith Halpert
Mediums
Mediums Description
metal
Classifications
Object Number
1968.147A-B
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.147A-B

Artwork Description

During the Depression, Charles Sheeler worked in the industrial design field, designing glass tumblers and metal tableware. Salt and Pepper Shakers reflects his belief that such objects should be simple and functional. The sharp, precise edges culminating in rounded corners are very much in line with American modernism, in which Sheeler played a large role. The set has been compared to Shaker stoves and Ford cars, both objects that interested Sheeler in his celebration of industrial products as objects of aesthetic value.

Works by this artist (31 items)

View all artworks
Charles Sheeler, Salt and Pepper Shakers, ca. 1935, metal, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Edith Halpert, 1968.147A-B
Salt and Pepper Shakers
Artist
Dateca. 1935
metal
On view
Charles Sheeler, Sun, Rocks and Trees, 1959, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., 1969.47.73
Sun, Rocks and Trees
Artist
Date1959
oil on canvas
Not on view
Charles Sheeler, Golden Gate, 1955, tempera on plexiglass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1967.47
Golden Gate
Artist
Date1955
tempera on plexiglass
Not on view
Charles Sheeler, Study for American Interior, 1934, ca. 1934, watercolor, opaque watercolor and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 1982.90
Study for American Interior, 1934
Artist
Dateca. 1934
watercolor, opaque watercolor and pencil on paper
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Browse All Artworks
Mark Lindquist, Silent Witness #6~Dh0:\Taciturn, from the "Post Totemic Series", 1991-1995, black walnut, mixed media, mixed metals, and found objects, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance in memory of our nation's loss on September 11, 2001, 2002.29, © 1995, Mark Lindquist
Silent Witness #6~Dh0:\Taciturn, from the ​“Post Totemic…
Artist
Date1991-1995
black walnut, mixed media, mixed metals, and found objects
Not on view
Unidentified (American), Memory Vessel with Commemorative Objects, after 1928, mixed media on ceramic, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.309
Memory Vessel with Commemorative Objects
Artist
Unidentified (American)
Dateafter 1928
mixed media on ceramic
On view
Kristina W. Madsen, Dining Chair, 1993, imbuia, silk, horsehair, and aniline dye, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1998.82, © 1993, Kristina Madsen
Dining Chair
Artist
Date1993
imbuia, silk, horsehair, and aniline dye
On view
Peter Danko, Unfolding Chair, ca. 1981, maple plywood and nylon, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph N. Raffa, 1997.119.1
Unfolding Chair
Artist
Dateca. 1981
maple plywood and nylon
On view