EMU Rhyton, 2021
(Extravehicular Mobility Unit)
.999 silver, 24k gilding, base, mount
15 x 5 x 8" - rhyton 17 x 8.5 x 15" - with display base
Emu Rhyton was my first fully realized rhyton project. Coming off the completion of the first four Sea Monster Stirrup Cups and the Deer Reconstruction, I finally felt confident enough in my skills to take on the challenge of a rhyton. Once I chose a space suit as the protome, I began developing prototypes, both the smaller suit form and the larger beaker- or horn-shaped body.
Choosing a space suit as the protome allowed me to connect contemporary iconography with an object rooted in antiquity. Traditional rhytons often draw from animals that held symbolic or cultural significance; by using a space suit—a symbol of exploration, vulnerability, and the human impulse to reach beyond known boundaries—I aimed to merge ancient ritual objects with modern mythology.
The finished piece is hand-raised from two discs of silver, one becoming the sculpted space-suit protome, the other forming the tapering horn of the vessel. Emu Rhyton represents not only my first step into the tradition of rhytons, but also my larger practice of reimagining historical metalwork through a contemporary lens.