Powder Horn
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 25.9 x 36.8 cm (10 3/16 x 14 1/2 in.) Original IAD Object: 15" long; 2" in diameter
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.13354
Art Historical Context
Behold the intricate *Powder Horn* by Margaret Stottlem, a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering from around 1937. Measuring 25.9 x 36.8 cm, this artwork faithfully captures the contours of an original 15-inch-long, 2-inch-diameter powder horn—a utilitarian vessel crafted from animal horn, once essential for storing black powder in firearms during America's colonial era and frontier days. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a New Deal-era Federal Art Project (19351942), Stottlemeyer's piece exemplifies the initiative's mission to document and celebrate everyday Amer...
About the Artist
Margaret Stottlemeyer
Margaret Stottlemeyer is an artist whose biographical details — including her dates, nationality, and training — have not been fully established in the scholarly literature. Her name appears in museum records, suggesting that her work entered institutional collections, but the circumstances of her life and career remain poorly documented. The precise nature of her practice and the media she favor...