Jessie Graham Smith's Watercolor Color Studies (Lot of Three) carved wooden shrimp meant to hold matches

meant to hold matches

perhaps forever

rather it seems sort of miraculously melded to the metal

it becomes a bit of an eerie one

cloth-covered hardback with original dustcover

Jessie Graham Smith's Watercolor Color Studies (Lot of Three) carved wooden shrimp meant to hold matchesI found these this past summer at a flea market close to me and just pulled them out again and was struck anew by their loveliness, and of course I am a sucker for an old color study. I haven't been able to definitely place the Jessie Graham Smith who did these, but would guess they date to the 1920s or so. Set of three. Paper size: 15 x 10 3 4". As evident there is a little staining to the paper on a couple at the top and toning around the edges;