Ancestor's Mantle from the collection of Villanova University Art Collection

Ancestor's Mantle

Pewter bowl and fused glass

15.5 x 15.5 x 12 in

Attribution: Center for Irish Studies

Inv: 2022-IRISH-004

On Loan

Found outside of her cottage in Northern Ireland, Tracey McVerry (1974-2024) combines this pewter bowl and fused glass of her own creation to make "Ancester's Mantle."

This is one of our favorite sculptures in the Villanova University Art Collection not only for aesthetic reasons (it's beautiful in person) but also because McVerry's family is the FIFTH generation to live in the same cottage, on the same land, and everything in her oeuvre has been dug up and incorporated into her art. Meaning everything she created was a wonderful combination of her own glass work and a nod to her relatives. A sense of looking back but also forward.

During a conversation with our curator, McVerry realized she also created some of the stained glass you can see in the foyer of the Monastery on campus.

We were saddened to hear of her passing last year, and are lucky to have some of her artwork here at Villanova.

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