Miniature Case

Art Historical Context

This delicate rendering by Thomas Holloway captures a miniature case, an object originally measuring just 2 wide by 3¼ inches high. Created around 1937 as part of the Index of American Design, the work belongs to a remarkable federal initiative that employed artists across the United States to document fine examples of American decorative arts through precise watercolor and graphite studies. These records preserve the craftsmanship of small, portable objects that might otherwise have been lost to time. Holloway’s choice of watercolor and graphite on paperboard allowed for both meticulous deta...