Applicatie van machinale kant voor een ronde halslijn c. 1920 - 1930

This machine-made lace neckline application is a beautiful example of anonymous craftsmanship. It's all about process, isn't it? The way the pattern builds, the rhythm of the repeating floral motifs, the careful construction of something so delicate. Up close, you can really see the texture. The way the light catches the threads, the subtle variations in tone. It's almost like a drawing in space, a three-dimensional sketch. There’s a kind of ghostliness, a lightness to it, like you could almost see through it. Look at the way the edges are defined, not with hard lines, but with these intricate little scallops and curlicues. They remind me of the way Cy Twombly built form. It makes you think about the human hand, even though it was made by a machine, and the urge to create, to decorate, to make something beautiful and useful. Like the anonymous makers of quilts, it speaks to the ongoing conversation between art, craft, and design.