Handvat van hout, waaraan een L-vormige knop van zwart hoorn, gevat tussen twee delen ivoor c. 1900 - 1930

This cane was made by Gelria from wood, horn, and ivory at an unknown date. The colors here are really pared back, the natural wood grain juxtaposed with the black of the horn, but then punctuated by those bands of ivory – it feels very elemental. You can see the hand of the maker so clearly. I think this object speaks to how art and craft can merge, especially when there’s such a focus on the materials themselves. I’m drawn to the way the horn is shaped, like a smooth, dark wave. It makes me think about the tension between form and function. The cane is obviously meant to be used, but it's also a beautiful object in its own right. It reminds me a little of some of Brancusi’s sculptures, where he's also stripping things down to their essence. There’s a similar kind of quiet power in both.