Vingerdoek van linnendamast met dessin Marguerite c. 1904

This linen damask cloth with a Marguerite design was made by Cornelis van der Sluys. The process of creating this piece, probably through weaving, involves building up an image line by line. It’s a slow, methodical act, sort of like knitting or coding, where each step is crucial to the final outcome. The cloth is so delicate. It’s all white, but with enough tonal variation to make the floral pattern readable. The image of the Marguerite, repeated in each corner, is soft and flowing. I love the thorns; they contrast with the softness of the petals, lending some edge to the overall design. It reminds me of those early Agnes Martin paintings, where she used simple materials to create ethereal, meditative spaces. In both, there is something magical about the tension between the fragility and the strength of the materials. These objects welcome many interpretations, inviting us to find our own meaning within their delicate structures.