Konische parasolknop of parapluknop van blauwgeverfd hout met gouden nerven of blauwe kunststof; de knop is ingelegd met rode steen of kunststof c. 1920

Editor: Here we have what’s described as a parasol knob. A blue-stained wooden knob from around 1920, with the suggestion of gold leaf and a red inset at the top, currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. It has such a specific sense of time about it; the blue reminds me of Art Deco designs. How do you see this unassuming piece? Curator: Oh, this little knob! It whispers stories, doesn't it? To me, it feels like a time capsule holding anxieties about industrial production, but wrapped in the comforting guise of handmade artistry. Think about it - mass-produced umbrellas were becoming increasingly common, yet someone felt the need to painstakingly craft this… ornamental fastening. The faux grain, the hint of luxury… Is it aspirational? Nostalgic? I keep wondering: what did it mean to hold this? Did it elevate the mundane experience of weathering a storm? Editor: That's fascinating, the idea of it as a pushback against industrialization! I was so caught up in the colors, I missed the bigger picture. Curator: And doesn’t the ‘parasol’ part tickle you? It speaks to such delicate sun avoidance, a whole social world bound up in *not* getting a tan. Maybe the red inlay hints at forbidden passions simmering beneath that porcelain skin, haha! What about you, how did its material qualities strike you? Editor: Well, I liked the contrast of what looks like common wood, elevated with those delicate gold veins and what you said about it speaking to anxieties of industrialization. It’s so loaded with implied social context. Curator: Precisely! The beauty of objects lies in their uncanny ability to embody silent social narratives, isn’t it? And the way it makes us ponder such questions, is quite amazing.