Round covered box
With its gently undulating edges and delicately hammered surface, this box is characteristic of Henry Petzal’s work. With a keen interest in craftsmanship, especially medieval metal work, Petzal came to master the traditional techniques of the silversmith: hammering, repoussé, and chasing. During a twenty-one year span, after a successful career as an executive at a textile firm, Petzal began to create functional objects out of silver. Based in the vernacular tradition of American silver, Petzal’s pieces are all designed for household use. In 1974, he was awarded his first museum show at the Berkshire Museum in Pittfield soon after the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston acquired fifteen of his pieces.
Artwork Details
- Title: Round covered box
- Designer: Henry Petzal (American (born Germany), Berlin 1907–2002 Shrewsbury, New Jersey)
- Date: ca. 1970
- Medium: Silver alloy and lapis lazuli
- Dimensions: 2021.54.40a, b: 4 3/8 × 7 3/4 in., 2.5 lb. (11.1 × 19.7 cm, 1.1 kg)
- Classification: Silver
- Credit Line: Gift of Jacqueline Loewe Fowler, 2020
- Object Number: 2021.54.40a, b
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
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