Kraag van mouwvest 1830 - 1831

Editor: This is "Collar of a Sleeveless Jacket" from around 1830, author unknown. Seeing it now, the degradation gives it an oddly compelling presence, don’t you think? It's simultaneously ghostly and substantial, as if it’s carrying untold stories. What do you make of this lone object, a relic from a bygone era? Curator: Oh, I completely agree! It *is* ghostly, isn't it? Almost like a memory fragment solidified into ceramic. I imagine this collar cradling a neck, shielding a voice now silent. Think about it – what secrets could this fragment whisper about its former owner's life? Was it a regal lady, a hard-working artisan, or perhaps someone caught between? Each imperfection and age spot tells a story. Do you think it's sad or beautiful? Editor: That's such a lovely thought. Maybe… melancholically beautiful? This surviving piece is a bit sad, it sparks my curiosity so much. And thinking of it that way, what material would that ghost be made of? Curator: Maybe ceramic dust swirling in time like memories, what about you? It’s like poetry isn’t it? This unassuming object turns into something so alive in your hands, you have opened it up and gifted it back to me! Thanks to your question it changed completely. Editor: This has been enlightening – thank you for sharing that with me. This idea gives me chills. I’ll never look at historical fragments the same way again. Curator: Neither will I. Thank you.