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Object Details
- Artist
- Kristina W. Madsen, born Northampton, MA 1955
- Exhibition Label
- Kristina Madsen views her work as a study of pattern, with furniture as its medium. Her intricately hand-carved pieces bring together a wide variety of influences: a knowledge of textiles passed down from her grandmother, a traditional English cabinetmaking education, and an interest in South Pacific wood carving traditions. In 1991 Madsen received a Fulbright grant to spend nine months in Fiji studying with master carver Makiti Koto. While there, she learned the freehand intaglio technique, in which all engraved lines appear below the surface of the wood. Since then, she has used this technique to enliven her furniture. The geometric engravings on this Dining Chair, which reference lace, a Hawaiian fan, and the common Fijian motif of a shark’s tooth, add a rich texture that complements the simple yet elegant design.
- Credit Line
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
- Copyright
- © 1993, Kristina Madsen
- 1993
- Object number
- 1998.82
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Decorative Arts-Furniture
- Crafts
- Medium
- imbuia, silk, horsehair, and aniline dye
- Dimensions
- 33 x 20 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (83.8 x 52.1 x 47.0 cm)
- See more items in
- Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
- Department
- Renwick Gallery
- On View
- Renwick Gallery, 2nd Floor, Room 206
- Renwick Gallery, 2nd Floor
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Record ID
- saam_1998.82
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Not determined
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7a8efd458-84b4-4a35-b2af-35b9494a9c55
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