Dango

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Copied Jun Kaneko, Dango, 1989, stoneware, slip, and glaze, 36 1⁄8 x 19 1⁄4 x 14 1⁄8 in. (91.9 x 48.8 x 35.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John and Earlene Taylor, 1997.125.2

Artwork Details

Title
Dango
Artist
Date
1989
Location
Dimensions
36 1⁄8 x 19 1⁄4 x 14 1⁄8 in. (91.9 x 48.8 x 35.8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of John and Earlene Taylor
Mediums
Mediums Description
stoneware, slip, and glaze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1997.125.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.125.2

Artwork Description

Jun Kaneko has created many clay sculptures that he calls "dangos," the Japanese word for dumpling. These can be up to eight feet in height and need to dry for several months before being fired in the kiln. Kaneko keeps the pieces in his studio while they age so he can decide on the color and pattern of the glaze. He is a painter as well as a ceramist and enjoys using the glazes like paint, overlapping and blending colors to create different effects. Here, the spiraling lines of black and white suggest the whorls of a fingerprint, evoking the artist's touch as he molded and painted the sculpture.