Waterlife

Every Page a Work of Art. This folk art collection of wood-cut style illustrations is so visually compelling, you may want three copies of Waterlife: one to leaf through at leisure, one to take apart to frame the full-page images, and one to bestow upon someone special. Artist Rambharos Jha’s unusual work adapts motifs of Mithila art (a form of folk painting in Bihar, India) to colorfully document Ganga River creatures he remembers observing when he was a child. Each animal, including seahorses, fish, lobster, octopus, crocodile, and cranes, is accompanied by a short story, charmingly interweaving memory and folk legend. Silk-screen printed by hand on handmade paper. Limited edition.  Hardcover; 28 pages; 12 hand-numbered illustrations. 9.2" x 14.5"

Museum Provenance

Celebrate aquatic beauty while honoring the need for its preservation. Inspired by the majestic bounty of the sea, these carefully chosen gifts call to mind the breathtaking interactive experience offered by our Sant Ocean Hall, National Museum of Natural History, as well as the spectacular clothing and amazing jewelry and glass in our collections at our National Museum of American History.

Every Smithsonian purchase will arrive with a museum provenance card explaining how it is adapted from or inspired by an object or objects in our collection.