Designer: Robert McKeown (1931 – 1989)

Item: Long Purple Striped Jewelry Box

Manufactured by: Robert McKeown

Country of origin: United States

Year made: 1984

Materials: Wenge (Rosewood) with colored resin inlays and suede

Dimensions: 2” x 8 ¼” x 3 ½”

Condition: Excellent

Description: Here is one of McKeown’s more stunning box designs, with an unusual color combination on top. This larger piece has a beautiful inlaid lid with a modernist geometric design using vibrant colored resin in deep shades of purple. The wood is Wenge which is a form of Rosewood, beautifully grained and is quite rare. The interior has its original suede bottom to protect the jewelry that would be kept inside. This work has the impressed branded cypher of the artist, as well as his engraved signature and date on the bottom, as shown. We have seen, handled and owned other pieces in this physical shape design with the linear striped top decoration, but we have never seen another with this amazing color combination and execution.

McKeown's pieces are among the finest examples of quality Studio American craftsmanship and design. He was a San Francisco Bay area artist best known for his use of resin, metal and other inlays in his wood objects. He was a graduate of the California College of Arts and Crafts and was a color theorist who won acclaim for his innovative resin inlays on a range of utilitarian objects. His work was exhibited nationally and internationally, including shows at the American Craft Museum in New York City, the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pennsylvania and the Yamaha Corporation American Craft Exhibit (1979-1980, Japan). He was a representative to the World Crafts Council Conference in Vienna in 1980. His body of work is somewhat limited because of his early death in 1989 at the age of 58. His works are becoming increasingly well recognized for their mastery of materials and design.