Bandbox
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.2 x 22.9 cm (11 1/2 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: 19 3/4" deep
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.17338
Art Historical Context
**Bandbox** by Lee Hager (1935/1942) is a meticulous rendering of a classic American bandbox—a lightweight, portable container once essential for storing collars, hats, or linens. Created using watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard (29.2 x 22.9 cm), this piece captures the object's intricate wallpaper-like patterns, vibrant colors, sturdy construction with remarkable precision. Hager's skilled layering of media brings out the tactile qualities of the original, evoking the everyday elegance of 19th-century domestic life. This artwork is part of the *Index of American Design*, a groun...