Figurine of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., titled "Racial Harmony"

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Figurine of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., titled "Racial Harmony"

Object number2018.016.0001

Date1995

ClassificationsArtifacts

Creator Sarah's Attic

ObjectArtwork

Credit LineThe Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Collection

MediumResin, Paint

Dimensions10 × 4 9/16 × 3 in. (25.4 × 11.6 × 7.6 cm)

Terms

Collections

DescriptionLimited-edition figurine of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shaking hands. This resin sculpture is titled "Racial Harmony" and was made in 1995 by Sarah’s Attic. The figurine stands 10 inches tall; the two figures stand at almost a right angle to each other. The base of the statue has a small red heart just in front of the left foot of Dr. King's figure. This heart is a signature of Sarah's Attic pieces. President Kennedy's left hand is resting on Dr. King's back on the reverse of the figurine. Text is stamped into the upper backs of both figures. President Kennedy's figure has "John F. Kennedy" stamped into it, and "Martin Luther King Jr. \ Racial Harmony" is stamped into the back of Dr. King's figure. The company logo and year, "SA (c) 1995", are carved on the lower right panel of President Kennedy's coat. The underside of the base has a heart-shaped ink stamp in the center with the following text stamped inside the heart: "Licensed by the Estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1994 Sarah's Attic [heart shape] LTD". Beneath this stamp the collector's edition number is handwritten in black ink, "205 / 5000".

Curatorial Commentary

Michigan-based collectibles company, Sarah's Attic, specialized in African American religious, historical and heritage figurines. Among the historical figures depicted by the company were Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and W.E.B. DuBois, in addition to several figures featuring Martin Luther King Jr.

In the 1990s, Sarah's Attic produced a special "Martin Luther King Collection," authorized by the King estate. In addition to this limited-edition 1995 resin sculpture, "Racial Harmony," featuring King shaking hands with President Kennedy, the collection included King writing his famous letter from a Birmingham jail, King with children following the civil rights march in Montgomery, Alabama, and on his wedding day alongside Coretta Scott King. - Stephen Fagin, Curator