Curatorial Notes
Like many later portrait miniatures, this example was likely produced en masse for the tourist market by painting over a template printed on ivory: The hard white substance originating from elephant, walrus, or narwhal tusks, often used as the support for portrait miniatures. or an ivory-like material such as celluloid. The inclusion of the decorative, faux tortoiseshell case further suggests that this was crafted as an elegant souvenir. We are grateful to Bernd Pappe for his insight on the attribution of this miniature during a visit to the Nelson-Atkins from July 24–26, 2023 (see Bernd Pappe, “Attribution Report,” August 6, 2023, Nelson-Atkins curatorial files).
Provenance
Ella Clark Loose (1860–1945), Kansas City, MO and Washington, DC, by 1934 [1];
Her gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1934.
Notes
[1] Loose is also referred to as Mrs. Jacob L. Loose. She was noted for her jewelry collection; many objects were purchased during her frequent travel overseas. Thank you to NAMA’s provenance specialist, MacKenzie Mallon, and former curatorial assistant Michele Valentine for this information.
No known related works, exhibitions, or bibliographic references at this time. If you have additional information on this object, please tell us more.