Iris Cross-Stitch
date: label: Date
content: c. 1994
name: label: Artist
content: Ira Blount
notes: label: Caption
content: Purple irises tinged with yellow grow out of a brown bowl in this cross-stitch with a geometric green border. Artist Ira Blount (1918-2020) incorporates the Chinese character, “mei,” which translates to “beauty” to the left of the flowers. This work invokes the conventions of still-life paintings by including a memento mori, a single flower that has fallen off the plant. Viewers are encouraged to consider both the irises’ natural beauty and their transience.
label: Caption
content: After moving to Washington, DC following World War II, Ira Blount mastered dozens of artisanal crafts. His love for crafting, learning, and community engagement would endure over the course of his long life and career.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anacostia Community Museum Collection
creditLine: label: Cite As
content: Gift of Ira Blount
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Anacostia Community Museum
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2011.0004.0102
objectType: label: Type
content: cross-stitch
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Aida fabric, cotton embroidery floss
label: Dimensions
content: 11 1/8 × 8 1/4 in. (28.2 × 20.9 cm)