Kettle Tilter
c. 1939
Medium
graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.8 x 24 cm (14 1/8 x 9 7/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11938
Art Historical Context
**Kettle Tilter**, a meticulous graphite drawing by Jacob Lipkin from around 1939, captures ingenious simplicity of an early American household tool. Part of the National Gallery of's Index of American Design, this work depicts a clever device likely used in colonial or frontier kitchens to tilt heavy kettles over a fire, showcasing everyday American craftsmanship and practicality. Measuring 35.8 x 24 cm, the paperboard support allowed for fine detail in Lipkin's precise lines, highlighting the object's functional form and subtle wear from use. Created during the Great Depression as part of t...