Negen zijden kwasten aan tresband in marineblauw c. 1925

These tassels in navy blue were made by Gustav Schnitzler. There's something so compelling about the handmade, when the evidence of the process is clear, and here, you can see the layering, the gathering, the tying. Each tassel is densely packed and slightly different from the others. The deep blue colour gives a feeling of calm, like a still ocean at night, yet the texture, the individual strands of silk, create a sense of movement and energy. Think of the way they might sway when attached to whatever they were adorning! If you look closely at the way the ribbons are tied at the top, you can see the hand of the artist in the little imperfections, the slight asymmetry. It reminds me of the work of Sheila Hicks, whose weaving also has that sense of texture and layering. Ultimately, it leaves you wondering what these tassels were for, who they were made for, and the stories they could tell.