Knoop van goud en lichtgroen email, met een robijn c. 1908 - 1911

Here's a set of buttons in gold and light green enamel, punctuated with a ruby, made by Lodewijk Willem van Kooten. I like to imagine the artist, bent over these small forms. What kind of brush did he use for the enamel? Was it like painting a miniature, each stroke deliberate and precise? Or was there room for improvisation, a dance between control and chance? I imagine him mixing the enamel, getting the perfect shade of light green, like spring leaves just unfurling. See how the gold and green design frames the ruby, making it glow like a tiny sun. Think about the ruby - the pop of red, its intensity, like a memory. For me, these buttons evoke a sense of preciousness, and craftsmanship. I think all artists are in conversation, taking cues from the past and remixing them into something new.