Onderstok van parapluie of parasol van een tropische houtsoort (amarant?) met knoestige knop van gekleurd, warrig hout c. 1920 - 1940

This ‘Onderstok van parapluie of parasol van een tropische houtsoort’ was made by Gustav Schnitzler, though we don’t know when exactly. It's now kept at the Rijksmuseum. Imagine Schnitzler sourcing this piece of tropical hardwood, amaranth maybe, with that wonderfully gnarled knob. I can picture him turning it over in his hands, feeling its weight and texture, deciding how to shape it, how much to reveal or conceal the wood’s natural grain. The staff is so straight and austere, almost severe, in contrast with the wildness of the handle. I wonder if he meant to convey a tension between control and chaos? The polished shaft leading to this explosion of raw, colored wood. It's a lovely bit of visual tension, a quiet conversation between the made and the found. It reminds me that art isn't just about creating something from nothing, but finding the art that's already there, hidden in the materials, waiting for someone to bring it out.