Ship Caterpillar

Copied Tatyana Zhurkov, Ship Caterpillar, 1998, mixed media: plastic, Venetian glass, beads, and porcelain, 10 x 25 1⁄4 x 7 7⁄8 in. (25.5 x 64.0 x 20.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Norman H. Volk, 1999.88, © 1998, Tatyana Zhurkov

Artwork Details

Title
Ship Caterpillar
Artist
Date
1998
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
10 x 25 1⁄4 x 7 7⁄8 in. (25.5 x 64.0 x 20.0 cm.)
Copyright
© 1998, Tatyana Zhurkov
Credit Line
Gift of Norman H. Volk
Mediums
Mediums Description
mixed media: plastic, Venetian glass, beads, and porcelain
Classifications
Subjects
  • Fantasy
  • Figure female — head
Object Number
1999.88
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1999.88

Artwork Description

Ship Caterpillar is named for the legend of the Flying Dutchman, which tells of a ghost ship doomed to sail forever in search of a fragment of the True Cross to redeem the sins of man. A porcelain head at the front of the piece resembles a ship's figurehead, lending guidance and protection. Artificial coral, representing the sea, was used for the hands and oars, and layers of plastic wings symbolize the ship's sails. When the viewer holds this piece, turning it this way and that, the tubes filled with beads imitate the gentle sound of waves.