Wood Necklace #11

Media - 1996.48 - SAAM-1996.48_1 - 49429
Copied 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, 1715 122 in. (43.239.45.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1996.48

Artwork Details

Title
Wood Necklace #11
Date
1994
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
1715 122 in. (43.239.45.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
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
  • Figure — fragment — hand
  • Fantasy
Object Number
1996.48

Artwork Description

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.