Ikat Box

Kay Sekimachi, Ikat Box, 1996, linen and acylic paint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund, 2003.25
Kay Sekimachi, Ikat Box, 1996, linen and acylic paint, 10 x 5 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄2 in. (25.4 x 14.0 x 14.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund, 2003.25

Artwork Details

Title
Ikat Box
Artist
Date
1996
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
10 x 5 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄2 in. (25.4 x 14.0 x 14.0 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund
Mediums Description
linen and acylic paint
Classifications
Object Number
2003.25
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2003.25

Artwork Description

Kay Sekimachi started making small woven boxes in the late 1970s for an exhibition of miniature textiles in England. She first makes a paper model of each box to see how the folds work and if the shape can stand on its own. In Ikat Box and Hako #5 (see 1998.122.20), she created cubes from natural linen and added detail with black thread and paint. The precise creases and rigid structure evoke origami, the art of folding paper into different shapes, which Sekimachi "just grew up knowing" in her Japanese American home. These elegant boxes also recall Japanese architecture, which focuses on creating peaceful tiny spaces within hectic city environments, and may symbolize Sekimachi's desire for a private space of her own.

Works by this artist (5 items)

View all artworks
Jean Carlu, Repaying Nature's Riches, from the Early Series, 1941, gouache on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Container Corporation of America, 1984.124.47
Repaying Nature’s Riches, from the Early Series
Artist
Date1941
gouache on paperboard
Not on view
Jean Carlu, In One Organization, from the Early Series, 1942, gouache on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Container Corporation of America, 1984.124.45
In One Organization, from the Early Series
Artist
Date1942
gouache on paperboard
Not on view
Jean Carlu, Gift Packages for Hitler!, from the Early Series, 1942, gouache and gelatin silver print collage on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Container Corporation of America, 1984.124.44
Gift Packages for Hitler!, from the Early Series
Artist
Date1942
gouache and gelatin silver print collage on paper
Not on view
Jean Carlu, New Skills from War, from the Early Series, 1943, gouache on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Container Corporation of America, 1984.124.46
New Skills from War, from the Early Series
Artist
Date1943
gouache on paperboard
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

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Gertrude Beals Bourne, New York City--East River, 1924, gouache and charcoal on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Philip W. Bourne, 1982.44.2
New York City – East River
Artist
Date1924
gouache and charcoal on paper
Not on view
Hannah Moscon, Skirmish, ca.1954, gouache on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Michael J. Ettner, 2021.88.213
Skirmish
Artist
Dateca.1954
gouache on paper
Not on view
Herbert Bayer, Destiny of an Old Directory, from the Early Series, 1939, gouache and gelatin silver print on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Container Corporation of America, 1984.124.14
Destiny of an Old Directory, from the Early Series
Artist
Date1939
gouache and gelatin silver print on paperboard
Not on view
Alice Pike Barney, Self Portrait in 1924, 1924, pastel and gouache on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney, 1951.14.91
Self Portrait in 1924
Artist
Date1924
pastel and gouache on fiberboard
Not on view