Daffodil Bowl

Madeline Yale Wynne's hammered and incised copper Daffodil Bowl with tin overlay is one of a range of domestic art objects, fashioned out of metal and wood, that the artisan contributed to Deerfield's first Arts and Crafts exhibition held in the Village Room in 1899. Metal working was not a popular choice for women of the late 19th century. Faced with an audience of women's rights activists concerned about "what the men would say?" should they choose this craft, Wynne argued,

"the reason there are not more women engaged in the metal work is because women have learned so little to depend upon themselves that they have neglected their opportunities and disparaged their ability to do things....Metal is just like dough after it has been subjected to heat. Of course this heat feature staggers many women, but there is no reason why a woman shouldn't do anything in the way of metal work without losing any of her dignity."¹