Knife and Spoon Box
Medium
watercolor, gouache, graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 45.3 x 36.7 cm (17 13/16 x 14 7/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 30 1/8" high; 13 1/4" wide; base: 9" square
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8860
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the National Gallery of Art's showcase of the Index of American Design! *Knife and Spoon Box*, around 1938 by artists Arsen Maralian and Ernest Busenbark, captures the charm of early American folk craftsmanship. This detailed watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard (45.3 x 36.7 cm) illustrates a decorative wooden box designed to store knives and spoons, complete with a square base measuring 9 inches and an overall height of about 30 inches. Such boxes were practical heirlooms in colonial and early Federal-era households, blending utility with whimsical carved motifs. Create...