Broche met wajangpop in email in zilveren rand c. 1937 - 1971

This enamel and silver brooch with a wayang puppet, was crafted by S. Fuchs, but we don't have a record of when. Look closely and you'll see the puppet's pointy nose and elaborate headpiece. The piece shows the way artmaking is an act of translation. The smooth enamel surface is a contained space, held by the ornate silver frame. Fuchs uses the enamel almost like a painterly ground. Look at the details, the layers of transparent colour! The ground is built up using a mosaic of earthy tones and small dashes of reds and blues, creating a sense of depth and texture. This is the background to the sharp white silhouette of the wayang puppet. Note the fine black lines that define its facial features. You know, this approach reminds me of Sophie Taeuber-Arp's collages, where abstract shapes come together to evoke a figure. This piece embraces that same ambiguity, inviting us to play with different interpretations.