Toy Bank: Mule and Manger
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, pen and ink, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 30.5 x 40.7 cm (12 x 16 in.) Original IAD Object: 5 5/16" high; 8 1/2" long; 3 5/16" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8484
Art Historical Context
**Toy Bank: Mule andanger** is a vibrant rendering by artist Chris Makrenos, around 1937 as part of the Index of American Design (IAD This detailed depiction captures a charming folk toy bank shaped like a mule standing beside a manger, ev the Nativity scene with a playful, everyday American twist. The original object, measuring just 5 5/16 inches high, 8 1/2 inches long, and 3 5/16 inches wide, represents the whimsical craftsmanship of early 20th-century toys, blending functionality with holiday symbolism. Produced under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) duri...
About the Artist
Chris Makrenos
Chris Makrenos was an American artist active in the mid-twentieth century who contributed a substantial body of work to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal project that documented American folk art and decorative culture through meticulous watercolor illustration. His works are held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and span a wide range of subjects drawn from ...