MIA: Decorative Arts, Textiles and Sculpture (Bot)
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miadecorativearts.bsky.social
MIA: Decorative Arts, Textiles and Sculpture (Bot)
@miadecorativearts.bsky.social
700 followers 3 following 2.3K posts
Sharing artworks from the Minneapolis Art Institute Decorative Arts, Textiles and Sculpture department. Not associated with the Minneapolis Art Institute.
Automated thanks to @andreitr.bsky.social and @botfrens.bsky.social
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Bureau bookcase https://collections.artsmia.org/art/2804/
bureau bookcase, mahogany and secondary woods English, XVIIIc
November 29, 2025 at 7:13 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Side chair https://collections.artsmia.org/art/24408/
Holiday Traditions, Providence Room
November 29, 2025 at 3:48 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Angel holding sign, from Nativity Scene https://collections.artsmia.org/art/84366/
Angel holding sign, from Nativity Scene
November 29, 2025 at 1:50 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Sherry krug https://collections.artsmia.org/art/40859/
Heliotrope glass with silvered metal mounts
November 29, 2025 at 11:59 AM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
"Dutch Boy on Barrel" still bank https://collections.artsmia.org/art/82297/
boy in traditional Dutch costume seated on a barrel; coin slot in back; cap and pants are aqua color; jacket is red; collar and shoes are yellow
November 29, 2025 at 9:59 AM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Ode to Friendship, Old Faces and New (Magic Wand with Portraits of Frank Cummings and David Ellsworth) https://collections.artsmia.org/art/108791/
tapering stem with ivory (?) tip on bottom; spool of ivory (?) with gold vertical lines near bottom; larger spool at top below round element with wavy scalloped edges; ovoid element at top with etched Plexiglas portrait of two men This object originated from an assignment Cummings gave to his design students based on "things or events to which there is an emotional response, but which is also difficult to explain." He describes it further: "The students were asked to write about a magical event in their lives... [and] bring together concept of a magical event or emotion, then design and produce a visual object that expressed the essence of their own personal magic." It propelled Cummings to create a series of works referred to by collector Irving Lipton as "Magic Wands." This one depicts Cummings on the right and wood turner David Ellsworth on the left, signifying Ellsworth's role as a mentor. His highly-ornamented style of wood art, accented by precious materials, adds to the power of this piece.
November 28, 2025 at 7:28 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Jardiniére https://collections.artsmia.org/art/40430/
Floral basket; arrived with dried floral arrangement
November 28, 2025 at 3:33 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Candle holder with candle attachment https://collections.artsmia.org/art/17732/
candle holder with candle attachment
November 28, 2025 at 12:52 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Large pitcher https://collections.artsmia.org/art/13092/
round-bodied pitcher with organic, flat handle extending from side of body opposite forward-tilting spout; white interior; sand exterior Perhaps Eva Zeisel's best-known design is her "Town and Country" line for Minnesota's Red Wing Pottery. It was spurred by a suggestion from Hubert Haddon Varney, the company's president, in the mid-1940s to create something "Greenich Villagey," meaning something slightly bohemian that would appeal to younger, more casual-living consumers in post-World War II America. Zeisel's forms are characterized by the undulating curves that animate each piece, an organic quality being explored by painters and sculptors of the period such as Isamu Noguchi and Jean Arp. "Town and Country" was produced from 1947 until the early 1950s.
November 28, 2025 at 10:54 AM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Urn on Column https://collections.artsmia.org/art/81084/
tall urn with pair of twisting handles; separate columnar base; urn decorated overall with patterns and shapes in pastel colors; bright-colored handles; faces and parts of faces overall; base is brightly-colored with lines and patterns overall
November 28, 2025 at 9:28 AM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Megillah (scroll) with case https://collections.artsmia.org/art/39826/
tube with open crown element at top, surrounding a bell and capped with fine wire filigree; foliate incised decoration at center of tube, on either side of opening and around handle at bottom As is true with all biblical scrolls, the Esther Megillah is written entirely by hand on parchment. The scroll is contained within an inscribed, decorative silver case. The inscription on this piece identifies the scroll as an Esther Megillah (אסתר מגילה). This scroll holds particular significance for the celebration of Purim, which commemorates events believed to occur in mid-5th century BCE Persia, during which the Jewish people were miraculously saved from genocide by the Jewish Queen Esther against the plot of King Ahasuerus’ advisor, Haman. During the celebration of Purim, the Scroll of Esther is read aloud. Participants dress up in costumes and actively participate in the reading by reacting to various parts, for example cheering for Queen Esther or booing at the mention of Haman’s name. Through this act of audience participation, Jewish people continue the tradition of renewing biblical text for each generation.
November 27, 2025 at 7:38 PM
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"Hopi Miniature Jug" still bank https://collections.artsmia.org/art/90159/
orange ceramic bottle with painted design; handles on either side of spout; does not stand upright, but lies on back; design painted in matte brown and rust;
November 27, 2025 at 3:45 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Pitcher https://collections.artsmia.org/art/18850/
Pitcher, silver lustre; blue transfer pattern of hunt scene (10)
November 27, 2025 at 2:07 PM
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Wine glass, one of a set of ten https://collections.artsmia.org/art/29478/
concentrated gold specks throughout glass; spiral globe atop stem
November 27, 2025 at 8:57 AM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Circular mirror https://collections.artsmia.org/art/40223/
metal with round disc on the end of the handle; mirror
November 26, 2025 at 6:24 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Covered jar, one of a pair https://collections.artsmia.org/art/9687/
Figures of scenes and interiors painted in blue.
November 26, 2025 at 4:23 PM
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Death Mask of Herschel V. Jones https://collections.artsmia.org/art/20192/
Death Mask of Herschel V. Jones
November 26, 2025 at 12:49 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Lobed Circular Dish https://collections.artsmia.org/art/23892/
Wedgwood pearlware partial dessert service, porcelain, printed and colored in green with designs of shells and seaweed, includes thirty-three pieces
November 26, 2025 at 12:13 PM
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Plate, one of twelve https://collections.artsmia.org/art/27826/
gadrooned shaped rims, Coat of Arms of Sir Richard King, Admiral of the White
November 26, 2025 at 9:33 AM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Side chair, one of four https://collections.artsmia.org/art/4650/
Side chair, one of four
November 25, 2025 at 5:49 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
"Puzzle Box" still bank https://collections.artsmia.org/art/81875/
bank in form of a circle with one flattened side; in two parts that fit securely together at three points; slit in top
November 25, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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Two-handled cup with cover https://collections.artsmia.org/art/2136/
The royal arms of Queen Anne adorn this cup, along with the crest of John Smith, who served as her Speaker of the House from 1705 to 1708. The nearly 100 ounces of silver used to make this piece are believed to have been awarded to Smith for fulfilling his governmental duties. After his death in 1723, Smith's heir had the silver remade into the latest style, but with earlier emblems of Smith and Queen Anne, a tradition of honoring one's ancestry that continued into the 19th century.
November 25, 2025 at 12:55 PM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
"Jumbo on Wheels, Small" mechanical bank https://collections.artsmia.org/art/81141/
small brown elephant on wheels; "Jumbo" written on both sides of his back
November 25, 2025 at 11:05 AM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
Golden Bird https://collections.artsmia.org/art/1274/
Constantin Brancusi began making abstract sculptures at about the same time Wassily Kandinsky, his contemporary was exploring abstraction in painting. Kandinsky eventually chose to obscure the natural objects that provided the starting point for his abstractions, whereas Brancusi took natural forms to an extreme of simplification but never completely excluded them from his work. Golden Bird belongs to a series of twenty-eight marbles and bronzes exploring the theme of birds and their flight, which Brancusi executed between 1910 and the early 1950s. His inspiration for these sculptures was a Romanian folktale about a dazzling golden bird called the Maiastra, whose magical song restored sight to the blind and youth to the aged. The shiny polished bronze of Golden Bird recalls the Maiastra's brilliant plumage, and the vertical thrust of the neck suggests open-throated song.
November 25, 2025 at 8:28 AM
miadecorativearts.bsky.social
"Blickensderfer 6" typewriter https://collections.artsmia.org/art/40983/
The Blickensderfer model 6 was the the portable typewriter 2.0--an improvement over the Model 5 that had debuted at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. The Model 6 was made of aluminum, rendering it lightweight, and like its predecessor, contained a fraction of the parts that made up its desktop contemporaries. Its rotating type wheel allowed for a speedy change in typefaces. Dubbed the "Five-Pound Private Secretary," the Model 6 was portable and durable; the company touted it in advertisements as being, "in every way, a high class machine." Like our own laptop computers and tablets today, it helped revolutionize work and communication while on the go.
November 24, 2025 at 7:54 PM