Karton waarop crème-wit lint van zijden gaas met een een kant een baan met ingeweven stippen c. 1900

This cream-white ribbon of silk gauze with woven dots on one side was created by Gustav Schnitzler. Although we don’t have the exact date it was made, understanding the context of textile production gives us insight into the intricate dance between gender, labor, and identity. Textiles have historically been intertwined with women's work. The creation of lace and ribbon was often a domestic activity, a source of income, and a means of expressing creativity within the confines of social expectations. But the industrial revolution also saw the rise of factories, where women and children faced harsh working conditions, their labor commodified and exploited. This ribbon, with its delicate silk gauze and meticulously woven dots, speaks to the skill and artistry involved in textile production. It invites us to reflect on the lives of the individuals who spun the silk, wove the fabric, and adorned it with intricate patterns, and how those patterns, in turn, adorned bodies and social spaces. The emotional resonance lies in imagining the hands that crafted this object.