Helixikos Number 3 was initially conceived and executed in wood and later recreated in bronze following irreparable damage to the original piece. Hans Hokanson’s training as a carpenter influenced his early sculptural techniques, which involved carving tree trunks and stumps found at Northwest Creek, near his home in East Hampton, Long Island. The tactile, rippled surface of Helixikos Number 3, with its centrifugally curved, ribbon-like forms, is characteristic of Hokanson’s early forays into three-dimensional work. The sculpture is abstract but has a decorative quality, which is further enhanced by the grooved surface pattern produced by the carving tool. The work’s title contains the word “helix,” a coiled, twirled, or twisted shape that aptly describes the sculpture’s form.