Advanced Search 
Thumbnail-size images of copyrighted artworks are displayed under fair use, in accordance with guidelines recommended by the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts, published by the College Art Association in February 2015.
Wooden slip case for leather bound edition of Cane, by Jean Toomer and illustrated by Martin Puryear
2000
Medium/Technique
Wooden slip case made of four different woods meant to represent different skin tones: African wenge, Swiss pear, Italian walnut, and New England maple
Dimensions
Overall: 34.9 x 38.4 x 4.8 cm (13 3/4 x 15 1/8 x 1 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Lee M. Friedman Fund
Accession Number2002.904.10
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsContemporary Art, Americas
ClassificationsIllustrated books
In his 1923 novel Cane, Harlem Renaissance author Jean Toomer used an innovative mixture of poetry, prose, and drama to contrast African-American life in the rural South with the urban experience of the North. This deluxe edition of the book is illustrated with ten woodcuts by sculptor Martin Puryear. Puryear also designed the slipcase, made of four different woods (African wenge, Swiss pear, Italian walnut, and New England maple) meant to represent a range of skin tones.
DescriptionDeluxe edition of illustrated book with artist-designed case and separate portfolio.
ProvenanceDeborah Ronnen Fine Arts, Rochester, NY;