Janet Prip, Head Vase with Jagged Hair, 1988, cast bronze with relieved and burnished edges, 12 x 7 1⁄2 x 3 1⁄8 in. (30.5 x 19.0 x 7.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1995.42.2, © 1988, Janet Prip
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Head Vase with Jagged Hair
- Artist
- Date
- 1988
- Location
- Dimensions
- 12 x 7 1⁄2 x 3 1⁄8 in. (30.5 x 19.0 x 7.9 cm)
- Copyright
- © 1988, Janet Prip
- Credit Line
- Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- cast bronze with relieved and burnished edges
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Figure — head
- Abstract
- Object Number
- 1995.42.2
Artwork Description
Janet Prip has created many "head" vases that show stylized faces. She uses the seams in the metal to form the profile of each face, emphasizing an element of the process that many craftsmen try to conceal. The differences between her head vases are very subtle, but the severe lines of Head Vase with Jagged Hair suggest a male face, while the soft curves of Head Vase with Large Lips (see 1995.42.1) indicate a female profile. Prip plays with different features, such as the arch of a nose or the shape of an eye, to endow each of her pieces with a unique personality.