Bruidslint van roze ripszijde waarin met zilverdraad geweven twee gekroonde alliantiewapens en 'Arnout Noel en/ Maria Marcus, In/ den Echt verenigt den/ 12 December Ao 1752', afgezet met troetels van zilverdraad Possibly 1752

Editor: This is a remarkable artifact. A 'Bruidslint', or bridal ribbon, woven in 1752. Imagine, pink silk with silver thread depicting coats of arms celebrating the marriage of Arnout Noel and Maria Marcus. The texture alone tells a story. What whispers do you hear when you look at it? Curator: It makes me think about time, doesn't it? About permanence. Someone, likely several someones, poured their skill and heart into this small textile, knowing it might outlive them. Isn't that wild? To create something with such intention, such fragile materials, hoping to leave a lasting trace? What's even more striking is the formalized commitment, the 'gekroonde alliantiewapens', crowned family crests - the uniting of not just two people, but two dynasties. Editor: The silver thread catches the light so beautifully. So, it was purely symbolic, or might it have had a function? Curator: Function? Perhaps. Perhaps it was actually *worn,* as a sort of badge of honor? It certainly adds a layer to the experience of seeing it now. How do you imagine they celebrated the union it commemorates? A feast? Music? Dance? Now picture this very textile catching light and glinting. I love the layers of implied experience nested here, one inside the other. Editor: It does have that air of solemn occasion, that glimmer of light reflecting joy, all trapped within a relatively small piece of Baroque textile. A potent message! Curator: Exactly! It's a tiny time capsule, brimming with human experience. Editor: I will look at textiles very differently from now on!