Pink Orchid Cross-Stitch
Object Details
- Artist
- Ira Blount
- Date
- c. 1994
- Medium
- Aida fabric, cotton embroidery floss
- Dimensions
- 5 1/2 × 3 7/8 in. (14 × 9.9 cm)
- Cite As
- Gift of Ira Blount
- Caption
- Pink orchids bloom in a blue pot on this cross-stitch bordered in brown. Invoking the conventions of still-life paintings, a single flower has fallen off the plant in a memento mori. Between the detached blossom and the three still clinging to their stem is the Chinese character for good fortune, “fú”. These details, deftly rendered in an index card-sized space, reflect artist Ira Blount’s (1918-2020) interests in both the natural world and in Asian cultures, while drawing attention to the universality of nature’s fleeting beauty.
- After moving to Washington, DC following World War II, Ira Blount mastered dozens of artisanal crafts. His love for crafting, learning, and community engagement would endure over the course of his long life and career.
- Accession Number
- 2011.0004.0103
- Type
- cross-stitch
- See more items in
- Anacostia Community Museum Collection
- Data Source
- Anacostia Community Museum
- Restrictions & Rights
- CC0
- Record ID
- acm_2011.0004.0103
