Rol lichtgroen zijden satijnlint c. 1925

Editor: Here we have a photograph of a rolled, light green silk satin ribbon from around 1925, currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. It’s just… a ribbon. But the almost clinical stillness of the photo gives it such a mood. I’m curious, what catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: That ribbon, for me, whispers tales of transformation. Not just the silk from silkworm to luxurious fabric, but its potential! Imagine it adorning a flapper dress, cinching a waist, embellishing a hat… Do you sense that potential energy coiled within its gentle green loops? It's a quiet object, but humming with possibility. What does the ribbon suggest to you about that era? Editor: That it was part of an exciting visual culture of modernism and decorative arts, like something you’d find in an Art Deco magazine? But then the ribbon itself is such a basic element. Curator: Exactly! Think about the role of simple, mass-produced materials in modernism. The humble ribbon elevates everyday life, making beauty accessible. It's so wonderfully... democratic. And, dare I say, comforting in its familiarity? It's a link, a soft, shimmering thread connecting us to a generation that was also reimagining beauty in the everyday. Does the image give you a sense of place or time? Editor: It feels…staged, timeless. It really makes me consider how photography transforms something so simple into something precious. It makes the ordinary almost holy. Curator: You’ve hit on something essential, the photograph almost distills the *essence* of ribbon, its potential made manifest! It takes something transient and makes it last. Maybe that's the magic trick modernism was chasing all along.