Bear (pin)

Ken Cory, Bear (pin), 1987, silver, 18k gold, 24k gold, blue topaz, 1 ¹⁄₄ x 2 x ¹⁄₂ in. (3.2 x 5.1 x 1.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Beverly Cory, 1999.66.3

Artwork Details

Title: Bear (pin)
Artist: Ken Cory
Date: 1987
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 1 ¹⁄₄ x 2 x ¹⁄₂ in. (3.2 x 5.1 x 1.3 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Beverly Cory
Mediums: silver
gold
topaz
Mediums Description: silver, 18k gold, 24k gold, blue topaz
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Subjects: Abstract
Animal — bear
Object Number: 1999.66.3
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1999.66.3

Artwork Description

The title of this piece allows the viewer to identify a shape in an otherwise abstract mass of metal. In his later work, Ken Cory created elegant, simple pieces out of more traditional materials. A friend of the artist’s called the design of his later pins “skewed, even if only slightly, so that what you think you see is sure to foil you, to delight you.”