Kniehoge laars van geel runderleer, met een met goudgalon afgezette omslag bovenaan de schacht Possibly 1913 - 1919

This pair of knee-high boots was crafted from yellow cattle leather, with a gold trim accentuating the folded top. I see the material telling a story. Look at the color, that pale yellow – almost ghostly. The surface isn’t smooth, it's worn, creased. Someone wore these, walked in these. The shape and the stiffness suggest a sense of formality, almost constraint. Yet the scuffs, the worn edges, hint at a life lived, adventures had. I’m thinking about the labor involved in making these – tanning the leather, cutting, stitching. It’s easy to forget the hand in things, the slowness of making. This reminds me of the sculptor Eva Hesse, who embraced imperfection. These boots aren't perfect, but that's the beauty of them. It's the imperfections that make them sing. It’s a conversation between the maker, the wearer, and time itself.