Untitled (Memory Vessel with Doll Parts and Watch faces)

Copied Zelermy, Untitled (Memory Vessel with Doll Parts and Watch faces), mid-20th century, sewer pipe clay, 11 5⁄8 x 9 1⁄8 x 8 in. (29.4 x 23.3 x 20.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., 1998.84.67
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled (Memory Vessel with Doll Parts and Watch faces)
Artist
Date
mid-20th century
Location
Dimensions
11 5⁄8 x 9 1⁄8 x 8 in. (29.4 x 23.3 x 20.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
sewer pipe clay
Classifications
Object Number
1998.84.67
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1998.84.67

Artwork Description

The folk art tradition of "memory vessels" grew out of grave-marking or commemorative rituals found in several cultures. Objects embedded in the surface of the piece often provide clues to the person who owned or used the items. With its doll parts and clocks, this vessel may have been created to commemorate a child, suggesting a too-short life. These special items may have been from the maker’s childhood, and were gathered here as a keepsake.