See more objects with the tag animals, traditional, sculpture, nature, beads, brightly colored, intricate, anthropomorphic, colorful, playful, community, African, transgressive, beadwork.

Object Timeline

  • We acquired this object.

2015

  • Work on this object began.

2016

2025

  • You found it!

Sculpture, Theodora, from the Afreaks series

This is a sculpture. It was designed by The Haas Brothers, Nikolai Haas and Simon Haas and collaborator: The Haas Sisters of Monkeybiz.

This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from R & Company as part of Beauty—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial.

It is dated 2015. Its medium is glass beads, wire, wood, mixed fiber stuffing, and cast bronze.

With feet like a duck but four legs like a mammal, this beaded creature has her own unique identity. This sculpture is from Afreaks, a series of playful objects that utilize the hyperbolic geometric patterns that govern such natural phenomena as coral formations. The beads are assembled by women from the Khayelitsha settlement outside of Cape Town, South Africa. Known as The Haas Sisters, they collaborate with The Haas Brothers on the realization of these remarkable pieces.

It is credited Courtesy of R & Company, New York and The Haas Brothers, Los Angeles.

  • Purse (USA)
  • glass beads, silk, metal frame.
  • Gift of Mrs. Harley Lord Stowell.
  • 1944-57-16
  •
  • Bag (USA)
  • silk, glass beads.
  • Gift of Mary S. M. Gibson.
  • 1945-54-24

Our curators have highlighted 22 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:

  • Cup/bowl (USA)
  • earthenware.
  • Museum purchase from Decorative Arts Association Acquisition Fund.
  • 1992-39-16

Its dimensions are

H x W x D: 91.4 × 116.8 × 38.1 cm (36 × 46 × 15 in.) (approx.)

We have 1 video that features Sculpture, Theodora, from the Afreaks series.

Afreaks Process

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Beauty—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial.

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-4.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/69172095/ |title=Sculpture, Theodora, from the Afreaks series |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=5 February 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>