Arthur King (American, 1921–1991), Watch, early 1970s, gold, ivory

Audio Description

American jeweler Arthur King, who lived from 1921–1991, made this watch in the early 1970s.

This round, cuff, bracelet-like watch is made of ivory that has been carved with high and low spaces and voids. Yellow gold has been shaped to fit in these grooves. The dimpled surface of the gold resembles the tentacles of an octopus. The tentacles surround the watch face, which is square, originating on the right side. The watch face has black Roman numerals and black hands. The scalloped edges of the ivory are also covered with textured gold.

Label Copy

American jeweler Arthur King, who lived from 1921–1991, made this watch in the early 1970s.

Because King was also a sculptor, his jewelry proved to be as individual as the objets d’art (art objects) he fashioned. He was greatly influenced by abstract painters of the 1950s and ‘60s, incorporating the intuitive gestures and sense of motion embodied in action painting into his work. As in other examples of his jewelry, this watch face is engulfed and held by grasping gold that, in this instance, seems to resemble the supple tentacles of an octopus—a creature he surely encountered when diving for pearls. King would have carved the ivory first, creating various apertures and channels. The gold was cast second and designed to flow in and around the ivory.

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