Broche met haar van de dichteres Petronella Moens c. 1843

Curator: Well, hello there. I must say, this ornate brooch initially strikes me as surprisingly sentimental. Editor: Indeed. This is a silver brooch dating back to approximately 1843, and currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. What’s particularly poignant is the central element: it features hair from the Dutch poet, Petronella Moens. Curator: Hair! It feels like keeping a whisper, a tangible piece of a person who once moved and breathed and dreamt in ink. But...a brooch? Wouldn't it be odd wearing someone’s actual hair on your lapel? Editor: Precisely! Think of hair’s inherent qualities: its texture, its color, the way it interacts with light. Placing this physical matter within the stylized setting of a relief allows for reflection on time and identity. Here, it seems almost a reliquary, elevating remembrance. Curator: You know, thinking of it as a reliquary casts a different light on the whole piece for me. All those delicately crafted flowers and the almost lace-like filigree, all encircling this...lock. Suddenly, the design seems less fussy and more devotional. But did she gift this before or after death? How fascinating! Editor: Unfortunately, it's unclear how the hair ended up as a memorial ornament, or indeed whose hands commissioned or owned this artifact. It seems probable however, given her date of death around 1843, this piece memorializes Moens' legacy and impact upon Dutch society through her artistic creations. The intricate silver work that cradles the hair suggests how cherished she was, not just as a writer but as an important voice of her era. Curator: Ultimately, it brings up interesting questions about the stories we want to preserve, doesn’t it? Whose strands of life are woven into the larger tapestry of memory, and how do we wear them? Editor: Absolutely. Whether keepsake or monument, such objects allow access to broader concepts of history, mourning, legacy, and personhood beyond its singular physicality.