Donald Wright (American, 1930-2012) Group of Carved Wooden Trays and Bowls, USA, 1958-1964

Carved and stained walnut, padauk
Seven trays and bowls, along with a ladle
The long tray with four wells signed: "Wright '60"; the long shallow tray signed: "D. Wright '58"; the three-well server unmarked; the shorter tray with upturned sides signed: "D. Wright '64"; the shallow square-form abstract tray signed: "D. Wright '64"; the smaller abstract bowl signed: "Wright '62"; the larger abstract bowl unmarked; the ladle unmarked.

H: 2, L: 30 3/4, D: 10 1/8 in. (largest)

Exhibited

"Donald Wright", Little Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York, May 25 - July 29, 1962 (long, compartmented tray exhibited)

Literature

Craft Horizons, July/August, 1962, p. 48 (long, compartmented tray illustrated)

Artist Biography

Donald Wright was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1930. He received his BS from Missouri State University and his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. An artistic polymath and renaissance man, Wright was a sculptor, goldsmith, architectural designer, and author. For several years he ran and operated galleries in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Wright came to know Robert L. Pfannebecker in the early 1960s and designed the Pfannebecker residence in 1964/65. Robert Pfannebecker was a long-time patron of Wright's, acquiring the artist's jewelry and sculpture. In the 1960s and 70s, Wright's work was frequently referenced in Craft Horizons magazine and exhibited widely. The sale of works from the Pfannebecker Collection represents the largest public offering of Wright's artistic career.

Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist

Property from the Robert L. Pfannebecker Collection