Vogel, aangeboden aan dr. W. Drees bij zijn bezoek aan Java 1948

This bird sculpture, offered to Dr. W. Drees during his visit to Java, is an anonymous artwork. You can almost feel the hand of the maker patiently carving into the material, coaxing this creature into being. I can imagine the maker, sitting somewhere quiet, perhaps, focused intently on this piece of ivory. The long neck extends upwards, inquisitive. The body is marked with delicate incisions, a kind of whispering pattern. Maybe the artist was thinking about the stories and legends connected to birds, their ability to fly between worlds. The legs are so delicate – it's as if the bird is captured in a moment of pause, a gentle alertness. I think about Brancusi and his birds, or even some of the ancient Egyptian sculptures of animals. This bird shares that spirit. It is as if artists across time are exchanging notes. Each one is adding to the conversation about how we see, how we feel, and what it means to bring something into the world.