Hoedenspeld behorend bij cloche c. 1945

Editor: Here we have a cloche hat pin, created around 1945, location Rijksmuseum, probably mixed media and assemblage. The green is quite striking, almost a forest green. The bird caught my attention too. What story do you see here? Curator: Well, the immediate symbolism points towards status, doesn’t it? Adorning oneself with feathers, particularly those of a pheasant as we see here, speaks of a connection to nature but also to the hunt, and therefore, historically, to the landed gentry. Does this suggest an aspiration beyond the post-war reality for the wearer, or perhaps a longing for an idealized past? Editor: A longing? That's interesting. So you're saying the pheasant isn't just decorative, but… evocative? Curator: Precisely. Consider the cloche hat itself. Its shape obscures, it frames the face intimately, creating a kind of private theatre. The addition of the pheasant head and feathers becomes a powerful statement. The colors are rich and earthy. There is an obvious link here to decorative arts and art-deco esthetics too. What emotions does the pheasant evoke for you? Is it simply beauty, or something more complex? Editor: Hmm, maybe…a sort of wildness, but also a hint of… fragility? It's been captured, tamed, almost. Curator: Excellent! That tension between the wild and the domestic is central to understanding the image of the feathered object in many cultures. Its use speaks to complex relations between women, power and nature. Consider, too, the idea of metamorphosis. The wearer momentarily becomes associated with the symbolic power of the bird, but at what cost? Is there a trade-off involved in embracing these symbols of nature as a woman, perhaps? Editor: I never thought of it that way before, as a form of cultural messaging through an assemblage! Thanks for pointing out those deeper layers. Curator: My pleasure! The most mundane of objects, when viewed through the lens of symbolic history, can reveal incredible insights into the culture that produced them.