Water cooler
This highly imaginative water cooler has dolphin handles and a finial in the form of a small boy; similar motifs can be found on other works by the Bell family. The delicate coggled pattern and the applied knobs, or barnacles, give the piece an extraordinary appearance.
Artwork Details
- Title: Water cooler
- Maker: Possibly Richard Franklin (Polk) Bell (1845–1908)
- Date: 1870–90
- Geography: Made in Strasburg, Virginia, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Stoneware
- Dimensions: 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Robert W. de Forest, 1933
- Object Number: 34.100.166a
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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