-Hansel and Gretel- still bank c. 1930

This -Hansel and Gretel- still bank was crafted by an anonymous artist, and it’s got this eerie, fairy-tale vibe. It's a bank made of metal, probably silver or some kind of alloy, and it’s all about texture. The metalwork has been hammered, shaped, and chased into form. The roof is layered with these scale-like shingles. They remind me of brushstrokes in a way; each one is a deliberate mark that builds up to a whole surface. If you look at the little figure of Gretel standing in the doorway, you see it's a rough and ready depiction. It's all about the play of light on the surface. This is art that embraces its materials. You could compare this work to that of the artist Martin Puryear. While Puryear worked with wood and bronze, he also emphasizes a similar quality of hand-madeness. The -Hansel and Gretel- still bank encourages us to linger over the surfaces and wonder at the narratives embedded within.