Cowhide Trunk c. 1941

Robert W.R. Taylor rendered this cowhide trunk using watercolor and graphite, capturing its textured surface. The geometric patterns—triangles and zigzags—immediately strike the eye, resonating with the human impulse to impose order on chaos. These motifs echo through millennia, appearing in ancient pottery and textiles. Think of the stepped pyramids in Mesopotamia, or the patterns adorning Greek vases. The triangle, especially, embodies a primal symbolism, pointing upwards to the heavens, or representing stability when grounded on its base. Consider how these shapes trigger subconscious associations with shelter, protection, or hierarchy, concepts deeply embedded in our collective memory. As civilizations rise and fall, these elemental forms persist, resurfacing in unexpected places. Perhaps this is how the geometric patterns in this trunk evoke a sense of history, of connection to something larger than ourselves.