Foot Scraper
about 1890–1900
Object PlacePossibly Pennsylvania, United States
Medium/TechniqueWrought iron
Dimensions28.57 x 33.02 x 17.78 cm (11 1/4 x 13 x 7 in.)
Credit LineGift of Maxim Karolik
Accession number58.1156
On View
On viewClassificationsSculpture
Collections
Modern artists found artistic inspiration in a wide variety of historical works—including utilitarian forms. This strutting chicken originally served as a foot scraper used for the lowly task of cleaning mud and dirt off shoes and boots. Yet its simplified, abstract representation and graphic silhouette echoed the radical aesthetic vocabulary of early 20th-century artists.
ProvenanceFound in Pennsylvania; purchased from the Stony Point Folk Art Gallery; gift of Maxim Karolik for the M. and M. Karolik Collection of American Drawings and Prints, 1800-1875
about 1850
about 1750–1800
about 1800–20
1675–1750
about 1750–1800
Gustav Koralewsky
18th century
early 20th century