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Image

RISDM 63-011-164.tif
63.011.164.jpg
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  • RISDM 63-011-164.tif
  • 63.011.164.jpg

William Edgar Brigham

Jewelry Designs

Description

Maker

William Edgar Brigham (American, 1885-1962)

Title

Jewelry Designs

Year

1914

Medium

  • Watercolor on paper

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Watercolor on paper

Materials

watercolor

Supports

  • paper

Dimensions

35.6 x 25.4 cm (14 x 10 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Written on left corner:London Sept 8th 1914

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of the Estate of William E. Brigham

Object Number

63.011.164

Type

  • Architectural and Design Works on Paper

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Works in Process
Jul 31, 2021 – Jan 23, 2022

Label copy

Nature was a great source of inspiration for metalsmith William Edgar Brigham. He created dozens of sketches in pencil and watercolor of plants and animals, translating his drawings into patterns before settling on a design for an object. These works were made from observations of birds at the London Zoo, the first zoo established for the scientific study of animals.

Brigham’s animated painting of a parrot translates into an equally expressive and colorful repeating pattern. This pattern then manifests in a design for a pendant with the same flowering foliage, which morphs into an elegant teardrop shape that forms the parrot’s perch. Even as a static object, Brigham’s parrot pendant incorporates the movement and liveliness of his real-life rendering. Similarly, his drawings of pheasants are brought to life in a design for a bowl that places the bird within a bejeweled habitat of gems, enamel, and silver. [See also: 63.011.157, 63.011.163, 63.011.165, 63.011.166].

Use & Feedback

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

William Edgar Brigham (American, 1885-1962)
Jewelry Designs, 1914
Watercolor on paper
35.6 x 25.4 cm (14 x 10 inches)
Gift of the Estate of William E. Brigham 63.011.164

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Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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