Parasolknop of parapluknop van hout; de zwart geverfde paddestoelknop is versierd met goudkleurige motieven c. 1920

This wooden parasol knob with black and gold detailing might have been made by Gustav Schnitzler to top off a fancy umbrella. Can you imagine how this object came into being? Maybe the artist found some wood and started carving, intuitively shaping it, and then painting it with all these details? I like to imagine the artist sitting there, turning the knob in their hand, carefully adding those gold-coloured motifs. Were they thinking about fancy umbrellas, or were they lost in the details of the material, the way the paint feels and looks as it goes on? The mushroom shape feels good in your hand - was that on purpose? I can imagine the artist playing with the contrast of the raw wood against the smooth, painted surface, each element emphasizing the qualities of the other. There is a lot of conversation happening here; the artist is in conversation with the materials and with art history! Artists everywhere are always inspiring each other to play, explore, and make stuff that makes us think and feel, like this parasol knob. It is just asking us to keep the conversation going!