Kachina 6

Ettore Sottsass Italian, born Austria
2007
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Based on drawings made in 2004, these glass pieces were inspired by Native American katsina dolls, examples of which are on view here. Sottsass discovered katsina dolls at the home of industrial designer George Nelson during his stay in New York in 1956. To Sottsass, they symbolize "the unknown in our existence in the universe," as they are "the souls of the unknown, of everything that is unknown." In this series, Sottsass expands his efforts to imbue ordinary objects with spiritual or historical meaning. The anthropomorphic glass sculptures were made possible by technical innovations that were first used for his glass vases in the 1980s, including the use of glue and wires.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Kachina 6
  • Artist: Ettore Sottsass (Italian (born Austria), Innsbruck 1917–2007 Milan)
  • Date: 2007
  • Medium: Glass; plastic
  • Dimensions: 18 7/8 × 12 13/16 × 9 7/16 in. (48 × 32.5 × 24 cm)
  • Classification: Glass
  • Credit Line: Private Collection
  • Rights and Reproduction: Studio Ettore Sottsass Srl
    Photography by Erik & Petra Hesmerg for the Mourmans Gallery
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art