Private Commissions

Antique Cuff and Box

2004

Commissioned by Chuanda Tan, Brooklyn, New York
Medium: Cuff – 19th-century metal beads, thread, silver clasp; Box – ultrasuede, archival board, fiber, thread
Dimensions: Cuff: Approximately 6 3/8 x 2 x 1/4 in.; Box: 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 x 4 5/8 in.
Photograph: Courtesy of the artists

Commission Overview
Chuanda first visited our Bushwick studio in 2004 with his partner Barry Durst. While Barry commissioned a beaded necktie, Chuanda was immediately drawn to the antique cuffs that William had been stitching by hand from 19th-century beads. He asked us to create one for him, beginning what would become a long friendship and a circle of supporters who remain central to our lives.

Artistic Approach
Like Bee’s cuff from the same year, Chuanda’s was constructed entirely with peyote stitch—no loom—linking tiny antique metal beads into a fabric-like structure. It featured a repeating motif in red, green, and white, which originally held far more vibrancy than what remains after years of wear. The cuff was secured with a tubular silver slide-lock clasp, attached to peyote-stitched carriers at either end.

In 2016, more than a decade after the original cuff was made, we reunited with Chuanda and had the chance to photograph and rehouse the piece. We created a black ultrasuede box lined with scrolls of Invisible Dog trimmings in shades of blue. Inside, a single large scroll matching the circumference of Chuanda’s wrist serves as a form, allowing the cuff to wrap around it and be displayed as both jewelry and sculpture.

Engagement and Impact
For Chuanda, the cuff was not only an ornament but also an emblem of connection—personal, aesthetic, and symbolic. For us, it was an affirmation that even in those early years, our work resonated with people who became lifelong friends and supporters.

Context and Legacy
This cuff represents both continuity and transformation: continuity in its hand-stitched technique and use of antique beads, and transformation in how we later re-presented it within a sculptural box. It’s also deeply tied to our community of early collectors—Barry, Chuanda, and others—whose belief in our work extended far beyond individual commissions and into decades of friendship, advocacy, and leadership within Scrollathon and our broader practice.