Rope Making Tool
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.5 x 24.7 cm (14 x 9 3/4 in.) Original IAD Object: 13" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15235
Art Historical Context
Behold the intricate *Rope Making Tool*, captivating watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite rendering Emile Cero, created around 1938. Measuring 35.5 x 24.7 cm on paperboard, work meticulously documents a 13-inch-long traditional implement from America's folk craft heritage. Cero's precise lines and subtle shading bring to life the tool's functional form, evoking the hands-on ingenuity of early American makers. This artwork is a gem from the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression (1935–1942). The IAD commi...