Dragon Bench

Furniture

-

Drexel Founding Collection

Installation view from Practical & Cultural exhibition 2017

Installation view from Practical & Cultural exhibition 2017

Name/Title

Dragon Bench

Entry/Object ID

60

Category

Furniture

Acquisition

Notes

Credit Line: Possibly made by Drexel Institute students Source: Said to be made by Drexel University Students

Made/Created

Artist

Olive P. Hough

Date made

1903 - 1904

Place

Country

United States

Continent

North America

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Engraving

Location

Top front right panel

Transcription

O.P.H

Dimensions

Height

44 in

Width

20-1/2 in

Length

52-1/2 in

Material

Oak

Provenance

Provenance Detail

Olive P. Hough

Owner/Agent

Olive P. Hough

Role

Designer and Sculptor

Place

City

Philadelphia

State

Pennsylvania

Country

United States

Continent

North America

Acquisition Method

Creation

Acquisition Date

1903

Disposition Method

Gift/Donation

Disposition Date

1904

Notes/Remarks

This bench is believed to be made by Olive. P Hough who graduated in Drexel's School of Drawing, Painting, and Modeling in 1904. She won the wood carving prize for general excellence. (E. Bartley 2/14/24)

Provenance Detail

Drexel University

Owner/Agent

Drexel Founding Collection

Acquisition Method

Gift

Acquisition Date

1904

Exhibitions

The Drexel Collection: Celebrating 125 Years
Practical & Cultural: The Drexel Collection as Teaching Tool
Curator Pick of the Month
Drexel Studies: A Journey of Artistic Adventure

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Curator Pick of the Month

Label

To start celebrating Drexel University’s 125th anniversary, the Drexel Collection chose the Dragon Bench for the Curator Pick of the Month. This 20th century bench is said to have been designed and made by Drexel University students. Each square reserve on the bench contains a different design displaying the varied characteristics of a dragon’s physical appearance as they change from culture to culture, with some depicted as serpent-like creatures and others with wings and fire, as well as demonstrating the skill of the student artists. The Drexel dragon mascot was first mentioned in a 1928 edition of The Triangle.

Label Type

Exhibition Label

Label

This 20th century bench is said to have been designed and made by Drexel University students. Its elaborate carving of dragons, griffins and other mythological beasts evokes a sense of grandeur often related to the Renaissance Revival style where monumental pieces, rich carvings and architectural details were common. Each square reserve on the bench contains a different design displaying the varied characteristics of a dragon’s physical appearance as they change from culture to culture, with some depicted as serpent-like creatures and others with wings and fire, as well as demonstrating the skill of the student artists.

Label Type

Exhibition Label

Label

Woodworking courses were first offered in 1918 as part of Drexel’s Evening School program, now known as the Goodwin College of Professional Studies. Three sections of the course trained students in different types of carpentry from joint making to patterns through the Swedish method known as “sloyd”, which emphasized woodworking as a helpful addition to any individual’s technical education.

Label Type

Exhibition Label

Label

Donated, and likely made by Drexel students, this bench represents the university’s willingness to foster current design trends. The Arts & Crafts style was very popular because of its emphasis on “honesty” in materials and organic decoration such as stylized foliage.

General Notes

Note

The bench was made after 1928 when the dragon logo was first mentioned in an edition of The Triangle. (L. Clouser, 9/1/2016) The arm of the bench is on the cover of the 1949 Lexerd. See photo. (L. Clouser, 10/4/2016)

Note

With updated information the bench likely predates the dragon mascot by about 25 years. (E. Bartley 2/14/24)