Brooch in the form of a repurposed circular metal pocket watch case. It is in a rustic metal color with greenish-blue patina forming in some sections. The watch case contains several found objects within its enclosure. These objects include a leaf, glass beads, crushed glass, engravings, glass vial, cork, and sand. The glass front is layered with a film of leaf-like veil. It creates texture to what would’ve been a transparent glass without it. Crushed glass settles at the bottom of the brooch. It is in a clear color with a few small blue pieces on its side. The vial, fixed at the center, is labeled “15” on its upper portion. It is filled with sand and is sealed with a cork. The backplate is in a light tan color with an illustration printed on it.

See more objects with the tag time, reuse, narrative, pocket watch, found objects.

Object Timeline

1992	Work on this object began.
2016	We acquired this object. We photographed this object.
2017	We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

untitled (15) Brooch, 1992

This is a brooch. It was designed by Keith Lo Bue. It is dated 1992 and we acquired it in 2016. Its medium is assembled found objects (patinated metal pocket watch case, leaf, glass beads, crushed glass, 19th-century engravings, watchmaker's glass vial, cork, sand), glass paste, metal. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.

LoBue creates jewelry from materials he finds as he walks about the world. He collects old objects, imagining that they are ready to tell their story through his dreamlike pieces.

This object was donated by Susan Lewin. It is credited The Susan Grant Lewin Collection, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

Watch And Chatelaine (France)
gold, enamel, glass, steel.
Gift of Anonymous Donor.
1967-48-28-a,b

Trade Card, Manhattan Watch Co.
chromolithograph on wove thin board.
Museum purchase through gift of Jacob H. Schiff.
1949-37-26

Watch
silver.
Gift of Anonymous Donor.
1967-48-27-a/c

Its dimensions are

H x W x D: 7.6 × 5.8 × 2.5 cm (3 in. × 2 5/16 in. × 1 in.)

It has the following markings

On reverse, signed in black ink: "Kieth LoBue (in script)__92"

Cite this object as

untitled (15) Brooch, 1992; Designed by Keith Lo Bue (American, b. 1964); assembled found objects (patinated metal pocket watch case, leaf, glass beads, crushed glass, 19th-century engravings, watchmaker's glass vial, cork, sand), glass paste, metal; H x W x D: 7.6 × 5.8 × 2.5 cm (3 in. × 2 5/16 in. × 1 in.); The Susan Grant Lewin Collection, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; 2016-34-68

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Jewelry of Ideas: Gifts from the Susan Grant Lewin Collection.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/R36Bg/
Accession Number 2016-34-68
Object ID 554917393