Four Ornamental Metal Boxes (1)

Fair Market Value: $1,500

Contributor will receive 50% of winning bid

Dimensions: .75"-1.5" x 1"-2" x 1"-1.5"

Blued gunmetal, silver, guilloché, and 14K gold

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M. Dale Chase

These four metal pill or ring boxes by M. Dale Chase were made during a sabbatical from wood box making during the 1990s. Chase explored creating metal boxes in combinations of gold, silver, and blued gunmetal. Using an ornamental lathe, he created hundreds of round, square, six sided, oval, and thin wafer-like boxes with one or two compartments. These lidded gold-toned boxes utilize the Guilloché technique to create contrasting patterns on the surfaces. A couple have threaded lids. Others slide precisely onto the bottoms.

M. Dale Chase took to ornamental turning after 32 years as a vascular surgeon. Ornamental turning utilizes Holtzapffel and Rose Engine lathes developed in England during the 1800's. Shaped metal cutters are oriented to cut patterns into wood. Chase first experimented with a 150 year-old Holtzapffel lathe, then transitioned to using the Rose Engine lathe. From early boxes patterned on the exterior, his focus shifted to simple forms with interior patterns. Chase boxes are included in the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and 100 in the collection at the Center for Art in Wood.

The Center for Art In Wood

The Center for Art in Wood interprets, nurtures, and champions creative engagement and expansion of art, craft, and design in wood to enhance the public's understanding and appreciation of it. CAW has built its reputation by providing opportunities for makers and visitors to experience craft directly, through participatory programming; seminal exhibitions and documentation; and the growth, conservation, exhibition, and care of its permanent collection. The Center's practice of keeping these resources free and available to the public emphasizes its commitment to building a democratic and inclusive community.