Kraag van kloskant met drie vlinders c. 1914

This Kraag van kloskant met drie vlinders – a bobbin lace collar with three butterflies – by Alida Maria van Schaik, is the result of many hours of intricate work. Can you see the delicate, repeated patterns, built up from small knots and crossings? I love thinking about the artist’s dedication, the kind of patience it takes to create something like this. Each movement builds on the last, a slow accumulation, a network of connections, like the relationships between artists. Think of Hilma af Klint making her abstract paintings, or Agnes Martin drawing those grids. They all invite us into their way of seeing the world, and Alida Maria van Schaik does the same here. This collar isn’t just an object; it’s a way of thinking about structure, pattern, and the beauty of repetition. It makes you wonder what it would be like to wear it. Like trying on a new idea.