Doos bij plaquette uitgereikt aan Bart van Hove bij de internationale wereldtentoonstelling te Brussel, 1910 1910

This box, for a plaque awarded to Bart van Hove at the 1910 world fair in Brussels, was probably made around the same time by an anonymous maker, likely from wood and leather. The brown leather, trimmed with a thin gold line, has this wonderful, slightly scuffed texture. It makes me think about the way things wear over time, the way the hand touches something again and again. I love how something so simple can hold such a story. The box itself is nothing flashy, but it’s sturdy, meant to protect something precious. You can almost feel the care that went into making it. Think of someone carefully applying that gold trim. It feels like a quiet ritual. The box reminds me of those Joseph Cornell boxes, little worlds contained in a simple frame. It’s a humble container, but it’s more than just a box; it’s a vessel of memory and history. It speaks to the ongoing conversation of craft and care.