Box c. 1937

Majel G. Claflin painted this Box, using watercolor and graphite, as part of the Index of American Design. The palette is limited to red-browns and creams, but the real star here is the process of carving. The designs have this sawtooth edge, which makes them feel both organic and kind of dangerous, like a beautiful plant with hidden thorns. The surface has a delicate, almost translucent quality. You can see the paper grain underneath, which gives the whole thing a kind of ethereal glow. The artist uses the watercolor to define the texture of the wood, creating a sense of depth and dimension with thin layers of pigment. Look at the botanical shapes on the sides of the box – how each of the serrated edges is carefully delineated, as if the artist is reveling in the tactile quality of the original object. It reminds me of the paintings of Marsden Hartley. They both find something mystical in the everyday. This box is a reminder that art doesn’t always have to shout to be heard; sometimes, the quietest voices have the most profound things to say.