Object Details
Artist
Richard T. Notkin, born Chicago, IL 1948
Luce Center Label
Richard Notkin made twelve unique teapots in the Light Bulb Teapot series between 1983 and 1992. Each of the elements on the teapot has a specific meaning that contributes to a story. Here, the dice on the handle symbolize risk, while the lightning-rod spout and inverted bulb shape of the pot refer to captured energy. These ideas, together with the overall skull-like image, express Notkin's anxieties about the danger that nuclear energy poses to the environment.
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Margot R. Heckman in memory of Mary Sherman Resh
Date
1984
Object number
2000.89A-B
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Decorative Arts-Ceramic
Crafts
Medium
stoneware
Dimensions
overall: 4 7/8 x 6 3/8 x 3 5/8 in. (12.3 x 16.1 x 9.2 cm)
See more items in
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department
Renwick Gallery
On View
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 4th Floor, 53B
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 4th Floor
Data Source
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Topic
Allegory\arts and sciences\science
Recreation\sport and play\dice
Object\other\light bulb
Link to Original Record
Record ID
saam_2000.89A-B