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Object Timeline

1959

  • Work on this object began.

1960

  • Work on this object ended.

1964

  • We acquired this object.

2012

2016

2024

  • You found it!

Hanging, Spring Thaw

This is a Hanging. It was designed by Lenore Tawney and woven by Lenore Tawney. It is dated 1959–60 and we acquired it in 1964. Its medium is linen, wool, goat hair and its technique is plain weave with discontinuous wefts (tapestry). It is a part of the Textiles department.

With a deeply personal connection to weaving, Lenore Tawney’s craft was not an exercise in patience, but in devotion. Some of her works have even been called "altars of meditation" for their quiet spirituality. "Spring Thaw" is a fine example of the delicate and ethereal quality of her work. The background is creamy white, with an irregular and abstracted diagonal line moving from the lower left to the upper right corner. As the line traverses the weaving, shades of purple, green and blue bleed horizontally across the work. "Spring Thaw" is a depiction of seasonal (and perhaps spiritual) awakening: the earth begins to thaw, and nature’s resilience prevails.

This object was donated by Miss Elizabeth Gordon. It is credited Gift of Elizabeth Gordon.

  • Hanging, Vitae
  • linen, wool, silk.
  • Gift of Elizabeth Gordon.
  • 1964-24-65
  • Hanging (USA)
  • silk, synthetic metallic yarns.
  • Gift of Mr. Eric and Mrs. Sylvia Elsesser, The Trude Guermonprez Archives.
  • 1993-121-25

Its dimensions are

Warp x Weft: 127 x 114 cm (50 x 44 7/8 in.)

It is signed

Lenore Tawney

Cite this object as

Hanging, Spring Thaw; Designed by Lenore Tawney ((American, 1907–2007)); USA; linen, wool, goat hair; Warp x Weft: 127 x 114 cm (50 x 44 7/8 in.); Gift of Elizabeth Gordon; 1964-24-64

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Energizing the Everyday: Gifts From the George R. Kravis II Collection.

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If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18451483/ |title=Hanging, Spring Thaw |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=19 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>