Artwork Details
- Title
- Storage Jar
- Artist
- Date
- 1999
- Location
- Dimensions
- 15 1⁄2 x 16 1⁄2 in. (39.5 x 42.0 cm) diam.
- Credit Line
- Gift of Shelby M. Gans in honor of Kenneth R. Trapp, on the 5th anniversary of his appointment as curator-in-charge of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- terra cotta
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 2000.67A-B
Artwork Description
Stephen Merritt’s terra-cotta jars commonly present wide bodies that rest on a narrow foot. To create the surface texture the artist pressed an incising tool into the body of the pot while it spun on the wheel, creating a single, unbroken spiral that covers the pot. His pots are not only functional but become sculptural in their elegant forms and delicate surface decoration.