Kraag van kloskant met voluutranken c. 1915 - 1919

Curator: Immediately I think…wedding cake? Or maybe the frosting ON a wedding cake. Editor: Indeed, the material presence here speaks volumes, yet it's the intricate symbolism within "Kraag van kloskant met voluutranken" – or 'Collar of bobbin lace with volute tendrils' crafted around 1915-1919 by J.H. Pleging-Faber – that truly fascinates. Think about how the bobbin lace work, this delicate textile, echoes not only artistic ideals from the Arts and Crafts movement, but a particular memory of that movement. Curator: I can see the "arts and crafts" vibe… It’s pretty, definitely skilled craftsmanship, but almost aggressively… decorative? All those little volutes feel like they're about to topple over into each other. What does all that organic ornamentation really tell us? Editor: It's not just decoration, it is about nature rendered into design. Consider, during that period, the interest in organic growth and structure was about much more than aesthetics; it was a response to industrialization. Patterns from the natural world, like the climbing volutes, symbolized life, growth, and an idealized past. In garments or objects enhanced this way, there's the possibility of invoking feelings of well-being and nostalgia in its owner. Curator: Well, if nostalgia’s the goal, they nailed it. It definitely smells like your grandma's attic. Though, thinking about it, maybe there's a subversive side to all that fussiness? All this detail requires serious dedication. It’s an intense amount of controlled labour. Editor: Absolutely! Labour is such a telling feature. The meticulous construction, demanding countless hours, embodies dedication, skill, and tradition. The very act of creating something so detailed in lace during a period of immense social and political change, could have been a statement in itself. A subtle act of preserving a fragile art form and, perhaps, quietly resisting the cold impersonality of machines. Curator: So, more than just fancy frills. Something defiant in those doilies…I see it now. It has shifted somehow, that intense symmetry making it feel oddly hopeful. Editor: It's incredible, isn't it, how a single piece can hold so many threads of history, emotion, and cultural meaning? Curator: You got it, making it beautiful. It can bring something special, almost beyond comprehension in these textiles.