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

This is a wooden parasol knob by Gustav Schnitzler, adorned with paint, possibly made for an umbrella or parasol. It's funny how something so functional can also be so decorative. The grain of the wood is still visible through the varnish, which gives it a kind of earthy feel, but then you have the contrasting black base, overlaid with ornate gold patterns. The juxtaposition is great! I see these little gold squiggles almost as brushstrokes, each one carefully placed. I am drawn to the way the artist used gold to create these little swirls. They're not quite symmetrical; each one has its own personality, a little imperfection. It’s similar to the kind of spontaneous marks you might see in the paintings of someone like Howard Hodgkin. Both artists understood the magic of imbuing ordinary objects with personal expression. It reminds us that art is everywhere, even in the things we use every day.