Doosje voor een penning 1910

This little box, made by J. Lecraart, is so charming. It’s got this handmade feel, the kind of thing you might find tucked away in an old desk drawer. The surface has this aged, almost parchment-like quality, with the simple inscription and emblem printed in what looks like black ink. The circular form, like a tiny stage, elevates these markings and makes them precious, a tiny play between image and container. There’s a roughness to the edges and the overall finish – not slick or mass-produced, but something made with care and attention. Look closely and you can see it's not perfectly round, the artist’s touch is evident, reminding me that art is fundamentally about process. It reminds me a little of Joseph Cornell's boxes, these intimate worlds contained within a simple form. Art is an ongoing conversation, isn’t it? A constant exchange of ideas across time and mediums. And this little box? It’s part of that big, beautiful conversation.