Man Into Seal

Object NameSculpture

Maker Alison Kinnaird (Scottish, b. 1949)

Maker Lindean Glass

Maker David A. Kaplan

Made FromGlass, Wood, Felt, Silver

Date1988

Place MadeScotland, Selkirk; Scotland, Midlothian, Temple

TechniqueFlashed, Blown, Copper-Wheel Engraved, Polished

SizeOverall H: 33.7 cm, W: 31 cm; Disc: 30.9 cm

Accession Number89.2.5

Curatorial Area(s)

Postwar and Contemporary

Exhibitions

Title Unknown (Coleridge Gallery)

Not On View

Physical DescriptionColorless glass flashed on "front" with translucent blue-green and amethyst on "back"; blown and flashed, copper-wheel engraved, polished, sterling silver and wood mount. Flashed rondel; intaglio carved to leave upper semi-circle with amethyst background and lower half with blue-green background, overall circular design of overlapping images of nude figure diving into water and transforming from human to seal in six stages; upper half: sketch of diving figure engraved from back, overlapped by modeled full-length figure carved from both front outer surface of thick colorless (polished) and through back amethyst and blue-green (matte finish) leaving colorless figure, overlapping lower half of third figure submerging into lower half of rondel; lower half: body becomes deep amethyst and continues transformation in stages to detailed seal whose upper body is carved from black to aqua while lower part remains amethyst; polished pontil; disc rests vertically in semi-circular silver mount affixed to oval wooden base painted black, bottom covered in felt; inscribed in script on colorless side, near outside edge, at juncture of aqua and amethyst: "Alison Kinnaird".
Provenance

Former Collection Alison Kinnaird (Scottish, b. 1949) - 1989-06-06