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Austria, Vienna
porcelain
Overall: 5.9 x 6.1 cm (2 5/16 x 2 3/8 in.)
Gift of R. Thornton Wilson in memory of his wife, Florence Ellsworth Wilson
Palmer, who was self-taught, was among the first American sculptors to break with the prevailing neoclassical style and adopt a more naturalistic approach.
This plaster is of the left foot only of Palmer's sculpture "The White Captive." Palmer created a separate foot carved in marble in early 1860, carved by Charles Calverley, and that at least two plaster versions were also made. One is now at the Walters, and the other, which was formerly owned by Henry T. Tuckerman of New York, is now lost.
This plaster foot was found in the Walters' townhouse, at 5 West Mount Vernon Place, in the 1940s. Although no documentation relating to the foot has come to light, it is likely that it was acquired by, or given to William T. Walters around the time it was made. William purchased a bust of Flora from the artist and a full-length subject of a child, titled "First Grief." A daguerreotype of Palmer's "Sleeping Peri" is in the museum's archive, and was also found at 5 West Mount Vernon place.
H: 6 × W: 4 13/16 × D: 10 13/16 in. (15.2 × 12.3 × 27.5 cm)
medium: plaster
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest [accessioned in 1941].
Northeast India
brass with gilt grip
Overall: 37.2 cm (14 5/8 in.); Blade: 23.6 cm (9 5/16 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade
In China, access to political power was granted to those who passed the civil service examinations, a system that offered official service only at a high level of education. Chinese literati-officials, whose daily routine involved administrative work in an office, enjoyed precious objects on their writing desks that offered distraction and demonstrated good taste. By the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, these utensils of the literati studio became also collectibles and were treasured as artworks.<br><br>A brush, like this one, was essential for both administrative tasks and for artistic creation. The bamboo brush handle and cap were carved in shallow relief with branches, leaves, birds, and flowers. The brush tip was made from fine white animal hairs.
China, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Wanli mark and reign (1573-1619)
carved bamboo
Overall: 24.2 cm (9 1/2 in.); Handle: 21 cm (8 1/4 in.); Top: 16.8 cm (6 5/8 in.)
Did you know...
The inscription on this brush with a bamboo cap reads: <em>Made during the Wanli Era of the Great Ming [dynasty]</em>.
Anonymous Gift
