Maple Butter Bowl

Art Historical Context

**Maple Butter Bowl** a meticulous rendering by artist Clyde L. Cheney, between 1935 and1942 as part of Index of American Design. This and graphite drawing on paper (36.1 x 52.6 cm) captures a humble yet charming wooden folk object—a traditional bowl used to hold maple butter, a sweetened spread made from boiled-down maple syrup. Cheney's precise technique highlights the bowl's smooth curves, subtle grain, and functional form, evoking the craftsmanship of early American artisans. Produced under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, the Index sought to document and celebrate America's vernacular design heritage. Artists like Cheney traveled the country, rendering everyday objects in vivid detail to preserve cultural artifacts that embodied regional traditions, particularly from maple-rich areas like New England. This work underscores the artistic value in utilitarian items, bridging folk craft with fine art documentation. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art, **Maple Butter Bowl** invites visitors to appreciate how such renderings safeguarded vanishing traditions, offering a window into America's resourceful, community-rooted past. (198 words)

About the Artist

Clyde L. Cheney · 1895–1968

Clyde L. Cheney is an artist about whom little is currently known. No dates of birth or death have been established, and his nationality and artistic training are not documented in surviving historical records. With nearly fifty works attributed to him in institutional collections, Cheney's output points to an active career. The middle initial suggests a deliberate professional identity, but corr...