Shell Container

Stuart Golder, Shell Container, 1978, sterling silver, 18k gold, and copper, ¹⁄₂ x 1 ¹⁄₄ x 1 ¹⁄₈ in. (1.4 x 3.1 x 2.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Paul and Carole Garrison, 2000.41.12, © 1970-78, Stuart Golder

Artwork Details

Title: Shell Container
Artist: Stuart Golder
Date: 1978
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: ¹⁄₂ x 1 ¹⁄₄ x 1 ¹⁄₈ in. (1.4 x 3.1 x 2.8 cm)
Copyright: © 1970-78, Stuart Golder
Credit Line: Gift of Paul and Carole Garrison
Mediums: gold
copper
silver
Mediums Description: sterling silver, 18k gold, and copper
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Subjects: Object — other — shell
Object Number: 2000.41.12
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2000.41.12

Artwork Description

These fifteen miniature containers (see 2000.41.1 to 2000.41.15) are part of a series of twenty-eight boxes that Stuart Golder created from 1970 to 1978, each one unique and no more than an inch in size. His technique involved bending the sheet metal, while other parts were formed, sawed, filed, shaped to fit, and soldered. He completed the surface finish by filing, sanding, and mirror polishing with an electric buffer, and he crafted the hinges and catches by hand. Many people asked him why he spent eight years on this project. He replied, "the preciousness of the form and the ability to hold a small universe in one's hands always intrigued me."