Brochette van zilver en turkoois c. 1920 - 1940

This is a brooch by J.A.F. Schutte, made of silver and turquoise. There's something so appealing about the contrast between the cool, hard silver and the organic feel of the turquoise. The silverwork looks like a tiny modernist skyscraper built to protect this precious stone. The turquoise itself has a beautiful matrix of browns and blues, a surface that looks like a miniature aerial view of land and sea. I imagine the maker handling this stone, turning it in their hands, finding the best way to show off its natural beauty, and building a setting to enhance it. This feels like a conversation between craft and nature. And, you know, thinking about craft makes me think of Eva Hesse and her playful approach to materials. There is a similar spirit of experimentation in this little brooch. It feels like a personal gesture, a small offering of beauty, and maybe a little bit of magic.