Silver Tankard
1937
Medium
graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 29.3 x 23 cm (11 9/16 x 9 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 8" high; 7 1/2" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.14080
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate *Silver Tankard*, a 1937 graphite drawing on paper by Amelia Tuccio, measuring 29.3 x 23 cm. This precise rendering captures an 18th-century American silver drinking vessel—standing 8 inches high and 7½ inches wide—its elegant form gleaming through Tuccio's skilled shading and line work. Created as part of the National Gallery of Art's Index of American Design collection (Department CG-W), the piece showcases the tankard's ornate handle, flared body, and subtle engravings, evoking the craftsmanship of colonial silversmiths. The Index of American Design, a landmark Works Pr...
About the Artist
Amelia Tuccio
Amelia Tuccio (1904–1977) was an American artist born in Italy on April 1, 1904. Little is known about her early life or formal training, which remains undocumented in available sources. She emerged as a skilled draftsman in the United States during the 1930s, contributing significantly to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambit...