Silver Dagger and Sheath c. 1940

Oscar Bluhme created this watercolor painting called Silver Dagger and Sheath. Although the artwork is a painting, it invites us to think about the actual dagger and sheath it depicts, and the ways in which these objects were made. We can imagine the labor that went into the silver work, especially the handle and sheath, both carefully decorated with unique embellishments. The painting might also make us wonder about the relationship between fine art and craft. Bluhme has taken an object that would have been skillfully produced, through a combination of specialist handcraft and industrial processes, and turned it into a work of art, by painting it. The subject matter is not a traditional one for art – like portraiture or landscape – but instead a functional object, elevating the status of craft. It invites us to consider who would have made the original dagger, and to whom it would have belonged, prompting questions about the artistry involved in its creation. By focusing our attention on materials and making, we can challenge conventional ideas about art, and recognize the value and skill involved in a wide range of creative practices.