Claro Walnut Box with Desert Ironwood Inlay

Del Stubbs, Claro Walnut Box with Desert Ironwood Inlay, 1982, claro walnut and desert ironwood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 2003.22.2A-B
Copied Del Stubbs, Claro Walnut Box with Desert Ironwood Inlay, 1982, claro walnut and desert ironwood, 2 x 3 1⁄4 in. diam. (5.1 x 8.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 2003.22.2A-B

Artwork Details

Title
Claro Walnut Box with Desert Ironwood Inlay
Artist
Date
1982
Location
Dimensions
2 x 3 1⁄4 in. diam. (5.1 x 8.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
Mediums
Mediums Description
claro walnut and desert ironwood
Classifications
Object Number
2003.22.2A-B
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2003.22.2A-B

Artwork Description

Del Stubbs once wrote that Claro Walnut Box with Desert Ironwood Inlay "represented [his] goal of quiet, of subtle play of light, and of oriental proportions." The box's rounded form and harmonious proportions recall those of a Japanese tea caddy, a vessel meant to hold powdered tea for use during the tea ceremony. The desert ironwood inlay on the top of the lid, a material that is difficult to work with due to its hardness, provides an interesting detail on an otherwise austere surface.