Silver Bird Sewing Holder
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.2 x 24.4 cm (13 7/8 x 9 5/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.13519
Art Historical Context
Behold the enchanting *Silver Bird Sewing Holder*, a meticulous watercolor and graphite rendering by James M. Lawson, 1936. Measuring 35.2 x 24.4 cm, this work on paper captures a whimsical American folk art object—a functional sewing accessory shaped like a silver bird, likely designed to hold pins or needles with both practicality and charm. As part of the *Index of American Design*, groundbreaking Works Progress Administration (WPA project from the Great Depression era (1935–1942), Lawson's artwork exemplifies a national effort to document and celebrate everyday American craftsmanship. Art...
About the Artist
James M. Lawson
James M. Lawson is an artist about whom the available historical record is limited. No confirmed birth or death dates have been established, and his nationality remains uncertain, making it difficult to place his work within a specific artistic movement or tradition with confidence. The works attributed to Lawson suggest a practitioner with artistic training and a developed approach to his chosen...