Kettle Tilter
c. 1939
Medium
graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.8 x 24.3 cm (14 1/8 x 9 9/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11937
Art Historical Context
**Kettle Tilter**, a meticulous graphite drawing by Jacob Lipkin from around 1939, captures the ingenious simplicity of an everyday American folk tool. This 35.8 x 24.3 cm work on paperboard depicts a wooden device designed to tilt heavy iron kettles over open fires, allowing users to pour liquids without strain—a practical invention rooted in colonial and rural life. Lipkin's precise lines highlight the object's sturdy craftsmanship, from its curved handle to its balanced fulcrum, evoking the resourcefulness of early American makers. Created as part of the *Index of American Design*, a Feder...