Teapot and Cup

Homei Iseyama, Teapot and Cup, 1939-1945, slate stone, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist's family, 2021.75A-C
Homei Iseyama, Teapot and Cup, 1939-1945, slate stone, teapot (A): 3 346 785 in. lid (B): 1 382 582 12 in. teapot and lid: 4 586 785 in. cup ©: 1 142 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist’s family, 2021.75A-C

Artwork Details

Title
Teapot and Cup
Date
1939-1945
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
teapot (A): 3 346 785 in. lid (B): 1 382 582 12 in. teapot and lid: 4 586 785 in. cup ©: 1 142 in.
Credit Line
Gift of the artist’s family
Mediums
Mediums Description
slate stone
Classifications
Subjects
  • Object — other — dish
Object Number
2021.75A-C

Artwork Description

Homei Iseyama adorned this teapot with pomegranates and leaves that recall his work as a gardener in California when he dreamed of becoming an artist. In 1942, Iseyama was incarcerated at the Topaz Detention Center in Utah, among 120,000 Japanese Americans who were forcibly moved during World War II as part of the federal government’s Executive Order 9066.


While in these bleak incarceration camps, Iseyama and others used scraps and found materials, like this piece of slate, to make tools, teapots, furniture, decor, toys, games, instruments, and more. Through these objects, they endeavored to recreate the comforts of home, which helped many endure emotional trauma. Iseyama’s carved teapot is an example of gaman, the Japanese word that means to bear the seemingly unbearable with dignity and patience.


This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022


Works by this artist (14 items)

Nellie Mae Rowe, At the Art Gallery, 1979, crayon and felt tip on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment and the American Women's History Initiative Acquisitions Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, 2021.29.10
At the Art Gallery
Date1979
crayon and felt tip on paper
Not on view
Nellie Mae Rowe, Untitled (Four-Leaf Clover and Little Zebra), 1980, marker on silver gelatin print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment and the American Women's History Initiative Acquisitions Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, 2021.29.6
Untitled (Four-Leaf Clover and Little Zebra)
Date1980
marker on silver gelatin print
Not on view
Nellie Mae Rowe, Church Lady in Pants Suit, 1980, crayon and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment and the American Women's History Initiative Acquisitions Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, 2021.29.9
Church Lady in Pants Suit
Date1980
crayon and pencil on paper
Not on view
Nellie Mae Rowe, Untitled (Landscape with Black Girl), ca. 1980, crayon on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.131
Untitled (Landscape with Black Girl)
Dateca. 1980
crayon on paper
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Nellie Mae Rowe, Church Lady in Pants Suit, 1980, crayon and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment and the American Women's History Initiative Acquisitions Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, 2021.29.9
Church Lady in Pants Suit
Date1980
crayon and pencil on paper
Not on view
Man Ray, Détachement-soulever le fil-regarder le dessín, 1970, felt-tipped pen and ink, crayon, pencil, string and postage stamp on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Juliet Man Ray, 1980.102.3
Détachement-soulever le fil-regarder le dessín
Artist
Date1970
felt-tipped pen and ink, crayon, pencil, string and postage stamp on paper
Not on view
Bill Beirne, Cross Reference, production notes (directional diagram), 1976, crayon, pencil, and ink on paper with additions in collage, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Gene Davis Memorial Fund, 2015.6.6, © 1976, Bill Beirne
Cross Reference, production notes (directional diagram)
Date1976
crayon, pencil, and ink on paper with additions in collage
Not on view