Kous gebreid van effen witte zijde, met langs de klink een geborduurde lijn, uitlopend in een diamantvorm, op de boord in rood in kruissteek 'I.A.G' c. 1800 - 1820

Here, we observe a pair of knitted stockings in plain white silk, their texture suggesting a delicate weave. An embroidered line, culminating in a diamond shape, adorns the side, while the initials 'I.A.G.' are cross-stitched in red at the top. The work presents us with a fascinating study in structuralism, where binary oppositions emerge between the functional and the decorative. The stockings themselves are utilitarian, yet the embroidery introduces an element of artistic expression. The line and diamond, as semiotic markers, disrupt the object’s purely practical nature, transforming it into a symbol of identity. Moreover, the use of red against the white creates a visual tension, destabilizing the aesthetic balance. This contrast highlights the embroidered initials, which, when read as a code, may unlock personal or cultural meanings beyond the object's mere physicality. The work challenges fixed notions of value, inviting contemplation about the blurred boundaries between the intimate and the public, the practical and the ornamental.