Hair Ornament c. 1940

Curator: My first thought is that this feels so light, almost airy—like dandelion seeds catching the breeze, all pinned down by delicate flowers. Editor: Indeed. We’re looking at a drawing titled "Hair Ornament," created around 1940 by Charles Rose. Curator: Rose has given the piece this fantastic duality with his colour choices— the red edging makes me think about how vibrant this ornament would have been back when it was crafted, but now there is this darker, shadowy presence behind and beneath each decorative focal point. There is this juxtaposition, this haunting elegance. Editor: Quite right. Observe how the design adheres to principles of symmetry—each side mirrors the other, offering balance. And see how Rose has cleverly contrasted textures to further draw the viewer’s eye. The soft, unfurling loops set off against that striking radial design... Curator: It’s striking how evocative of glamour these details are. And the little puffs almost feel as though each represents someone from back in that time. I have a vision of the owner turning her head and catching the candlelight as it sparkles like jet dust... Editor: We might consider also the way Rose implies a circular pattern motif here—it draws the ornament’s separate parts closer as a compositional feature of the ornament’s unity, yet somehow the black underlay is still threatening to tear through that floral aesthetic. Curator: It's a simple arrangement but its spirit is still able to evoke a deep kind of yearning. As if we were witnessing the memory of it… as if a gust of time has simply caught us just here to wonder for ourselves who cherished its being once… I will take with me now both a vibrant flower and something else quite mysterious and fleeting, caught by time. Editor: An astute and appropriate insight. "Hair Ornament" provides an understated yet resonant demonstration of a skilled craftsman manipulating the intrinsic values of line, composition, and texture to arrive at a harmonious, unified form. It reveals, once again, art's powerful ability to evoke not just historical representation, but a broader visual conversation.