Parasol met dek van donkerrode zijde met ingeweven zwart en grijs floraal motief op een konische stok van hout waarop vijf halve manen in reliëf c. 1890 - 1900

This parasol was made anonymously, using dark red silk with a woven floral motif, stretched over a wooden frame. The choice of silk tells us a lot. Before industrialization, silk was precious. It was primarily associated with the elite, given its expense, and the labor-intensive processes required to create the fabric. The handle of the parasol is made of wood, decorated with five half-moon reliefs. This juxtaposition of materials, fine and relatively humble, is characteristic of the era when it was made. It is a reminder that while mass manufacture was expanding, so was the taste for handmade luxury. Consider the skills needed to make this object: the weaver, the woodworker, the assembler, all contributing to a single coordinated design. The parasol therefore speaks to the complex social relations of production, with the value of the object a sum of different expertises. It is an evocative demonstration of art, design, and craft working together.