Onderstok van parapluie of parasol van een tropische houtsoort (amarant?) met knoestige knop van gekleurd, warrig hout c. 1920 - 1940

This umbrella handle, made of tropical wood and held at the Rijksmuseum, feels like a perfect example of how the natural world can inform design. The way the wood is shaped, it’s not just about function; it’s about celebrating the material. The long, smooth shaft gives way to this wonderfully gnarled, knobby handle. You can almost feel the hand of the maker, Gustav Schnitzler, shaping and smoothing, but also respecting the inherent texture of the wood. I love how the handle has been left a bit wild, chaotic almost, in contrast to the perfect symmetry of the rest of the piece. It reminds me that art, like nature, is an ongoing process of becoming, never truly finished but always evolving. You can see echoes of this reverence for material in the work of someone like Martin Puryear. It's like a quiet conversation across time, about the beauty of imperfection and the stories that materials can tell.