Butter Mold

Art Historical Context

Behold the delicate watercolor and graphite rendering of a *Butter Mold* by Wilbur M. Rice, created around 1937. This intimate study, measuring 29.3 x 22 cm, captures a humble wooden tool—originally 5 inches high and 3¾ inches wide—used in American kitchens to shape and imprint butter with decorative patterns. Rice's precise lines and subtle washes bring to life the mold's carved motifs, evoking the tactile world of everyday craftsmanship. Part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration, this work documents vanishing folk objects from America's cultural heritage during the Great Depression. Artists like Rice produced thousands of such detailed plates to celebrate utilitarian designs, preserving regional traditions amid rapid industrialization. Rice's masterful use of watercolor for soft textures and graphite for sharp details highlights the mold's folk artistry, underscoring its role in rural domestic life. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W department, it invites us to appreciate the beauty in the commonplace, a testament to American ingenuity and resilience.

About the Artist

Wilbur M Rice · 1909–1974

**Wilbur M. Rice (1909–1974)** was an American artist best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Active primarily between 1935 and 1942, Rice produced detailed watercolor, gouache, and graphite renderings of everyday American folk objects, tools, toys, and crafts. Thes...