Teapot

Albion Smith, Teapot, 1996, pierced, soldered, engraved, formed, and fabricated sterling silver, blue chalcedony, pink tourmaline, and rosewood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Sandra and Gilbert Oken in honor of Kenneth R. Trapp, 1996.51A-B
Copied Albion Smith, Teapot, 1996, pierced, soldered, engraved, formed, and fabricated sterling silver, blue chalcedony, pink tourmaline, and rosewood, part A (teapot): 4 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄4 x 4 1⁄2 in. (11.5 x 13.4 x 11.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Sandra and Gilbert Oken in honor of Kenneth R. Trapp, 1996.51A-B

Artwork Details

Title
Teapot
Artist
Date
1996
Location
Dimensions
part A (teapot): 4 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄4 x 4 1⁄2 in. (11.5 x 13.4 x 11.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Sandra and Gilbert Oken in honor of Kenneth R. Trapp
Mediums
Mediums Description
pierced, soldered, engraved, formed, and fabricated sterling silver, blue chalcedony, pink tourmaline, and rosewood
Classifications
Object Number
1996.51A-B
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1996.51A-B

Artwork Description

Albion Smith enjoys making all the parts of an object, including clasps, hinges, and miniature fastenings. He creates a variety of detailed teapots and hopes they will be treasured as objects of art and used as functional vessels. In this piece, the winding patterns were engraved onto a flat sheet of layered silver, then scored, bent, and soldered into the hexagonal form. The different parts of the teapot blend seamlessly, with the designs radiating out from the richly colored gem at the center of each panel.