Hoed in toque-model van donkerrood fluweel, aan de linkerkant versierd met een kleine toef struisveren in donkerrood en blauw c. 1950

This is a small hat made of dark red velvet, embellished on its left side with a little puff of dark red and blue ostrich feathers. I imagine the velvet yielded easily beneath the maker's hand, softly gathering and draping into that rounded shape. The feathers, though – did they prick the fingers as they were carefully arranged? I think of other artists who have worked with feathers, like Man Ray or Meret Oppenheim. There's a certain lightness and absurdity, but also an undertone of the macabre, that comes with using animal parts in art. The way the dark red deepens into shadow reminds me how a painter might mix colors, layering shades to create depth and form. Ultimately, this hat shows how all forms of art-making—whether painting or millinery—are born from imagination, material exploration, and a desire to transform the everyday into something extraordinary.