Material: Transparent paper, ink, foam core

Dimension: 15.25 x 6.5 x 4 inches

Details: To further the possibility of reincarnation and questions about the origin of things in physical and spiritual aspects, I created this project to attempt to tell a complete history of an object displayed in the museum that we give a name without paying attention to the complex making process behind its creation. Colonialism, culture, slavery, and consumer culture are some factors that influence a work of art or a product. There is a long history behind the techniques, materials, and art forms involved in the work.

Based on
Martele Writing Table and Chair, Gorham Manufacturing Company, 1903
Information from the museum:

Debuted at the 1904 world’s fair in St. Louis, this writing table and chair were designed to be showstoppers in a crowd of stunning objects. More than 10,000 hours of labor, 75 pounds of silver, and a panoply of exotic materials make up this unique set, which deftly melds sinuous European Art Nouveau floral and figural motifs, French Rococo forms from the 1700s and traditional Hispano-Moresque designs. Intricately wrought symbolism is found in the daytime poppies and the night owl below the mirror and the decoration of the legs, each representing one of the four seasons, with female masks surrounded by lilies, roses, chrysanthemums, and pine cones. The table and chair won the fair’s grand prize in silversmithing.