Object of the Day
Discover a different object from the Museum’s collection every day of the week!
Museum curators, conservators, and educators, as well as design enthusiasts like our teen Design Scholars, docents, and Master’s students, are sharing their favorite objects from Cooper-Hewitt’s incredible collection.
Many of these objects will be featured in the expanded collection galleries when Cooper-Hewitt reopens in 2014. Until then, “Object of the Day” is your uniquely-curated corner of the Museum!
Something's Fishy about this TureenPosted by Terry Goldman, on Saturday January 19, 2013My selected object was part of the Cooper-Hewitt exhibition, Rococo: the Continuing Curve 1730-2008. As a docent at Cooper-Hewitt, I remember joyous laughs of recognition as visitors on my tours spotted the New York artist Cindy Sherman's portrait as Madame de Pompadour replacing flowers in a cartouche surrounded by a warm pink known as Pompadour pink for the patron of the original 18th-century service on which this is based. Madame de Pompadour, Cindy Sherman, Sèvres, Limoges, Artes Magnes, Porcelain, rococo |
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Winnie the Pooh friezePosted by Gregory Herringshaw, on Friday January 18, 2013This children’s frieze captures the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin. This is a woodblock print and was probably produced at the same time as the book, which was written by A.A. Milne in 1926 and illustrated by E.H. Shepard. The frieze contains all of the original illustrations from the chapter on Christopher Robin’s Expotition to the North Pole. The illustrations are lined up along the length of the frieze, softly colored, and joined together by an idyllic landscape. This frieze is 40 ft long with no repeat. wallpaper, frieze, landscape, Pooh bear, child |
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Interactive wallpaperPosted by Gregory Herringshaw, on Thursday January 17, 2013Frames is a new rendition of an old idea in children's wallpaper. While it follows in the tradition of interactive wallpapers designed for children, it is attractive and has a very strong graphic presence even as purchased. It doesn’t need the addition of artwork to be beautiful. Frames invites children of all ages to draw pictures or paste their favorite photos within the frames. The paper was cleverly designed so it can be installed horizontally as a border at any child-friendly height or vertically, repeating in the usual fashion. wallpaper, interactive, frames, print room |
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A Work By Wendell CastlePosted by Cynthia Trope, on Tuesday January 15, 2013This chest, by twentieth-century American designer/craftsman Wendell Castle is an outstanding example of the American studio furniture movement. chest, stereo cabinet, Wendell Castle, studio craft, furniture, wood, laminated wood, Wharton Esherick, American |
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This is Not a TirePosted by Lucy Commoner, on Monday January 14, 2013At first glance, it is difficult to know how to identify the material composition of this folding fan. The material is black and stiff with a drilled pattern of open decorative elements and a raised design on the handle. On closer examination, the words, “Man’f Company Lambertville Goodyear Patent" can be seen stamped into the top portion of the handle. fan, rubber, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, chicle, Hella Jongerius, vulcanization |
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Simple Yet BoldPosted by Stephanie Keating, on Sunday January 13, 2013Born on today's date in 1930, Ikko Tanaka was one of the giants of Japanese graphic design in the second half of the twentieth century. Tanaka began designing posters in 1954 and was renowned for his ability to synthesize both Japanese and Western aesthetics. His name became synonymous with straightforward, impressive designs recognizable for their universality. Ikko Tanaka, Pieter Brattinga, Japanese graphic design, Dutch graphic design, offset lithography, poster, geometry, Netherlands, graphic design |
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From the home of mustard comes another tale...Posted by Sarah D. Coffin, on Saturday January 12, 2013It is hard to imagine a time when spices were so precious that their containers were designed as jewelry or a rare accessory. Yet, that is what this pomander is; it's name is derived from the French, pomum ambrae, referring to perfumes and perfumed ointment. pomander, spices, scents, allegories, Dijon, mustard, silver, silverwork |
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A Chair for the American FamilyPosted by Alison Charny, on Friday January 11, 2013In 1951, Danish architect and designer Finn Juhl brought Danish Modernism to forefront of American consciousness. He did so with his interior for the “Good Design” Exhibition in Chicago, as well his design for the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York, which he completed the following year. However, Juhl’s sculptural forms, praised as the height of modern design, were not only placed on display in prominent American arenas but were also integrated into American homes, bringing European design to the average American consumer. Finn Juhl, Danish Modernism, America, mass production, chair, Kaare Klint, Bauhaus, Baker Modern, Niels Vodder |
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The Power UndergroundPosted by Maxwell Tielman, on Thursday January 10, 2013When it was introduced to London in the 19th century, the first underground railway was revolutionary. Able to provide quick, uninterrupted travel for commuters and easy access to the bustling city from the suburbs, the London Underground promised a better, more efficient future. It would take some convincing, however, to get the general public to hop onboard. People were understandably skeptical of the new technological marvel—after all, the idea of loud, smoky locomotives navigating the dank, dark circuitry of London’s underbelly wasn’t particularly appetizing. London Underground, Frank Pick, E. McKnight Kauffer, poster, advertisement, graphic design, Man Ray, Graham Sutherland, London, travel |
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Velvet with Gold DisksPosted by Matilda McQuaid, on Wednesday January 09, 2013This sumptuous red velvet with gold disks embodies what we can learn from textiles by looking, comparing, deconstructing, reconstructing, and then interpreting our observations. Milton Sonday, my predecessor in the Textiles department at the Cooper-Hewitt, is a master of this methodology and has spent years employing it and teaching it to researchers and curators around the world. textile, velvet, gold, Milton Sonday |
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