Toleware Tea Caddy
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.5 x 24.2 cm (14 x 9 1/2 in.) Original IAD Object: 6 1/4" high; 2 3/4" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15229
Art Historical Context
Discover the intricate beauty of *Toleware Tea Caddy*, a meticulously rendered watercolor, gouache, and graphite depiction by artist William Frank, created around 1938. This 35.5 x 24.2 cm work on paperboard captures a diminutive original object—measuring just 6 1/4 inches high and 2 3/4 inches wide—showcasing the delicate painted tinware typical of American folk art. Toleware, or japanned tin, was a popular 19th-century craft, where everyday metal items like tea caddies were adorned with vibrant enamels and lacquers, blending European techniques with American ingenuity for household elegance....