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Bruce Metcalf, Wood Necklace #11, 1994, fabricated, raised, chased, repoussaged, machined, and painted maple, cedar, copper, tagua nut, pre-fossil horse tooth, glass eye, Micarta, brass, aluminum, stainless steel cable, paints, and pigments, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1996.48
Wood Necklace #11 is one of a series of objects that include Buddhist prayer beads. In this piece, Bruce Metcalf combines unusual elements, including a tagua nut and a prefossil horse tooth, with the prayer beads to evoke the mystery and wonder of ancient ritual. The cartoon-like female figure struggling to emerge from the leafy pod comments on the human condition in contemporary life. Metcalf leaves the viewer to construct a narrative about the figure and to find individual meaning through reflection.
“I present narratives about redemption. These are stories about the difficult process of learning to see the other as truly human, about making offerings to those in need, and about the urgent need for all of us to nurture something or somebody.” Artist’s statement, 1993
- Title
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Wood Necklace #11
- Artist
- Date
- 1994
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 17 x 15 1⁄2 x 2 in. (43.2 x 39.4 x 5.2 cm.)
- Credit Line
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Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- fabricated, raised, chased, repoussaged, machined, and painted maple, cedar, copper, tagua nut, pre-fossil horse tooth, glass eye, Micarta, brass, aluminum, stainless steel cable, paints, and pigments
- Classifications
- Keywords
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- Fantasy
- Figure – fragment – hand
- Object Number
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1996.48
- Palette
- Linked Open Data
- Linked Open Data URI
