Doosje bij prijspenning Openbare proef stenografie 1903 - 1908

This little prize box was made by Koninklijke Utrechtsche Fabriek van Zilverwerken van C.J. Begeer. I am fascinated by the box's humble presence. The box feels really intimate, maybe because it is so small. The label almost mimics the way a painter uses text within their work - like a George Braque collage, maybe. I like how there is a crown motif at the top of the label. This feels very intentional. I wonder about the person designing the box, and what their other work was like? You know, I was once asked to design some labels for a brand of artisanal olive oil. I struggled a lot because I wanted the labels to look like small works of art. In the end, they didn’t go with my designs, which is probably for the best. Thinking about this little prize box makes me want to revisit that idea. It makes me want to make more connections between painting and graphic design.