"Baby" Hand Puppet
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.8 x 20.1 cm (14 1/8 x 7 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 14 1/2" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15701
Art Historical Context
Behold the charming "Baby" Hand Puppet a meticulously rendered depiction by artist Elmer Weise around 1936. This watercolor, graphite, and gou work on paperboard (35.8 x 20.1 cm) captures the whimsical form of a folk hand puppet, originally measuring 14 1/2 inches long. Part of the National Gallery of Art's Index of American collection, it showcases everyday American craftsmanship from the early 20th century,oking the playful world of handmade toys and performance props. Created under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, the Index of ...
About the Artist
Elmer Weise
Elmer Weise was an American artist active around 1935, best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a New Deal-era Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Launched in 1935, this ambitious initiative employed artists across the United States to document the nation's folk art, crafts, and utilitarian objects through precise watercolor render...