Designer: Deborah Bump (b. 1940s)

Item: Kangaroo Jewelry Box

Manufactured by: Deborah Bump

Country of origin: United States

Year made: 1982

Materials: Mahogany and leather

Dimensions: 17” x 6” x 5” closed

Condition: Excellent, but the joey (baby Kangaroo) handle for the middle drawer has been reglued.

Description:  Bump is a Vermont-based wood sculptor best known for her stylized modernist wood jewelry boxes of various animal forms crafted in the 1970s and 80s.  We believe it is fair to categorize her work as being part of the American Studio arts movement based on the designs and overall quality. 

This large Kangaroo form is the tallest and one of the rarest of all her boxes.  We have only seen two other examples over the past 10 years.  Bump rarely incorporated leather into her constructions also making this a rarity.  We especially love the baby (a joey) kangaroo used as a handle for the drawer pull where this marsupial keeps its newborns until they are large enough to venture on their own.