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
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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 Description
- pierced, soldered, engraved, formed, and fabricated sterling silver, blue chalcedony, pink tourmaline, and rosewood
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 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.