Skip to main content
Smithsonian main website

Search

Donate

EnglishEnglish
EnglishEnglishAfrikaansAfrikaansAlbanianAlbanianAmharicAmharicArabicArabicArmenianArmenianAzerbaijaniAzerbaijaniBasqueBasqueBelarusianBelarusianBengaliBengaliBosnianBosnianBulgarianBulgarianCatalanCatalanCebuanoCebuanoChichewaChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCorsicanCroatianCroatianCzechCzechDanishDanishDutchDutchEsperantoEsperantoEstonianEstonianFilipinoFilipinoFinnishFinnishFrenchFrenchFrisianFrisianGalicianGalicianGeorgianGeorgianGermanGermanGreekGreekGujaratiGujaratiHaitian CreoleHaitian CreoleHausaHausaHawaiianHawaiianHebrewHebrewHindiHindiHmongHmongHungarianHungarianIcelandicIcelandicIgboIgboIndonesianIndonesianIrishIrishItalianItalianJapaneseJapaneseJavaneseJavaneseKannadaKannadaKazakhKazakhKhmerKhmerKoreanKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)Kurdish (Kurmanji)KyrgyzKyrgyzLaoLaoLatinLatinLatvianLatvianLithuanianLithuanianLuxembourgishLuxembourgishMacedonianMacedonianMalagasyMalagasyMalayMalayMalayalamMalayalamMalteseMalteseMaoriMaoriMarathiMarathiMongolianMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)Myanmar (Burmese)NepaliNepaliNorwegianNorwegianPashtoPashtoPersianPersianPolishPolishPortuguesePortuguesePunjabiPunjabiRomanianRomanianRussianRussianSamoanSamoanScottish GaelicScottish GaelicSerbianSerbianSesothoSesothoShonaShonaSindhiSindhiSinhalaSinhalaSlovakSlovakSlovenianSlovenianSomaliSomaliSpanishSpanishSudaneseSudaneseSwahiliSwahiliSwedishSwedishTajikTajikTamilTamilTeluguTeluguThaiThaiTurkishTurkishUkrainianUkrainianUrduUrduUzbekUzbekVietnameseVietnameseWelshWelshXhosaXhosaYiddishYiddishYorubaYorubaZuluZulu
Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
  • Visit
    Visit
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Location and Directions
    • Calendar of Events
    • Public Programs
    • Floor Plan
    • Tours and Itineraries
    • Amenities
    • Accessibility
    • Reviews
    • Alerts
    Visit »

    Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

    Admission is always free!

    2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
    Washington, DC 20002

    Our entrance is on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE.

    street map of Postal museum

    Learn more
  • Exhibitions
    Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
    • Virtual Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    The museum's Atrium
  • Learn
    Learn
    • For Researchers
    • For Educators
    • National History Day
    • Topical Reference Pages
    • Oral History
    • Research Articles
    • Stamp Collecting
    • One-Minute Wonders
    • Social Media
    • Activities
    Front windows showing stamp images at night
  • Collections
    Collections
    • Search the Collection
    • Collections Search Center
    • Collection History
    • National Postal Museum Archives
    • Donating Collection Objects or Archival Materials
    • Object Loans
    • Collection Projects
    • Object Spotlight
    • Digital Asset Collections
    • Rights and Reproductions
    • Preservation
    • Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns
    People in front of log post office building
  • About
    About
    • About the Museum
    • About Us
    • FAQs
    • Support the Museum
    • Host an Event
    • National Postal Museum Gala
    • Philatelic Achievement Award
    • Contact Us
    • Press
    • Site Map
    Information Desk in the Historic Lobby
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Collections
  • Search the Collection
  • Designs for Nine Bands for Bases
Click to view social media share links

Designs for Nine Bands for Bases

Object Details

Catalogue Status
Research in Progress
Description
Nine designs for bands for covering the points of bases intended to be executed in metal and, except for 2 and 7, with stones. Top row, left: "1"; a bead moulding is among the upper ones. The frieze shows a spherical quadrangle between circles with rosettes. Center: "2"; an enriched bead moulding, similar to "1"; an acanthus rosette is applied in the frieze. At right: horizontal lines of an unfinished design. Second row: "3"; a laurel moulding, similar to "1"; the frieze shows masks in horizontal ovoids between projecting panels with vases in the frieze. A twisted rope moulding is among the lower ones. "4"; an ovolo moulding, similar laurel festoons are suspended from nails. Circles are shown in the wedges, one with a rosette, the other with a child's head. Third row: "5"; an interlacement band and a moulding with leaves, respectively, similar to "3"; the frieze shows two interlaced undulated bands, framing beads and a rosette. "6"; a laurel moulding and a bead, similar to "3"; a festoon is supported by a bukranion and a mask; a rosette in a circle is in the wedge. "7"; with flutes and a bead moulding. Bottom row: "8"; interlaced and undulated bands, similar to "1"; a spherical octagon with a rosette is flanked by circles, the left one of which shows a rosette, in the frieze. "9"; a leaf at left of the designs. Figure numbers are inscribed with pen and ink at left of the designs. Verso: pen and ink inscription of price list. Part of the last line is written over a graphite sketch of an Atlas gaine, in opposite direction. It is flanked at right by a crouching centaur. His left hind leg touches the corresponding leg of a symmetrically disposed other centaur, who is not entirely shown. The dome of a pavilion is shown in the middle over the centaur group.
Credit Line
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Data Source
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Date
ca. 1800
Accession Number
1938-88-623
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
architecture
Object Name
Drawing
Type
Drawing
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and watercolor, traces of graphite on off-white laid paper; verso: pen and brown ink, graphite
Dimensions
25.1 × 26.9 cm (9 7/8 × 10 9/16 in.)
made in
Italy
See more items in
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
Record ID
chndm_1938-88-623
Usage
CC0
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq484435b64-fdba-452b-9772-b33f435f0525
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Home Smithsonian National Postal Museum

Visit »

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

Our entrance is on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE.

street map of Postal museum

Learn more
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Press
  • Site Map
  • e-News
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Flickr

Have you signed up for our monthly e-newsletter?

Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

Back to Top