HKB - Korfbalbond c. 1925 - 1950

Curator: Here we have a small yet significant piece: an anonymous decorative metal pin dating from approximately 1925 to 1950. It is a silver print on metal, in relief, titled "HKB-Korfbalbond." Editor: Initially, the stark silver catches the eye, but its delicate simplicity evokes something quite poignant, almost sentimental. It speaks of dedication to…something. What IS Korfbalbond, anyway? Curator: Ah, that is where the narrative broadens. This pin was likely created for the Dutch Korfball Association, as "Korfbalbond" refers to the sport of Korfball. Think of it as a mix of basketball and netball, unique to the Netherlands. Editor: Korfball! I'm charmed. Suddenly, the austere pin becomes this token of sporting camaraderie, a badge worn with pride, perhaps. Makes one wonder about the socio-cultural importance of leisure, of team sports shaping national identity between the wars. Curator: Precisely. Badges like these created communities. This isn’t merely decorative; it's emblematic. These objects also served as conversation starters or points of identification amongst fellow members. Editor: Consider, too, the power dynamics implied by such a pin. Who got to wear it? What did it signify about their status within the Korfball community? Did the sleek material indicate wealth or merely civic participation? Curator: All valid points. One imagines the slow creep of such symbolism throughout the 20th century, not just in sports but politics, civic duty... how public expression becomes intertwined with personal belonging. Editor: I love how one tiny object can unlock such massive avenues of inquiry, these glittering threads stretching through history and into individual experience. Who knew a little pin could reveal so much? Curator: Well, I believe art, regardless of scale, invites a dialogue; even in something seemingly as modest as this Korfball association pin. A marker, literally and metaphorically, of something more meaningful.