Ice Tongs
1939
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 47.9 x 30.7 cm (18 7/8 x 12 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 32" long; 16" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15237
Art Historical Context
**Ice Tongs** (1939) by Eugenez captures the sturdy elegance of a classic American utilitarian object through watercolor, graphite, and gou on paperboard. Measuring 47.9 x 30.7 cm (18 7/8 x 12 1/16 in.), this depicts oversized ice tongs—originally 32 inches long and 16 inches widedesigned for handling large ice blocks in an era before widespread refrigeration. Bartz's precise rendering highlights the tongs' functional form, with sweeping curves and robust handles that reflect early 20th-century craftsmanship. Created as part of the *Index of American Design*, a Works Progress Administration (...