Haarkam in de vorm van twee takken Viburnum c. 1902 - 1903

Curator: Here we have a remarkable piece by René Lalique, a hairpin titled "Haarkam in de vorm van twee takken Viburnum," created circa 1902-1903. Editor: It's exquisitely delicate. My immediate impression is of ephemeral beauty—fragile and suggestive. The materials combine such intriguing visual weights. Curator: Indeed. Lalique has masterfully played with the textural qualities. Note the stark contrast between the polished ivory that constitutes the comb's foundation, shaped as blossoming viburnum branches, and the shimmering encrusted berries. Editor: It's fascinating how Lalique elevates a functional object to a symbolic tableau, almost beckoning to a world where women controlled and defined representations of their own image outside of what was expected. How does that play out in Art Nouveau generally, do you think? Curator: Art Nouveau was heavily invested in such total aesthetic visions. By using organic motifs in jewelry, fashion accessories, or interior design, Art Nouveau designers, Lalique chief among them, aimed to harmonize the user with her lived experience of decorative aestheticism and the symbolic expression thereof. Note also the remarkable formal play: The stem rises and splits to present an off-kilter balance, which would have perfectly adorned the wearer's tresses with these glimmering details. Editor: The choice of viburnum itself adds layers of symbolic intrigue, does it not? Viburnum species often represent tenacity and the ability to weather the changes. To present these flowers during the tumultuous transition of the 19th century into the 20th strikes me as not just beautiful but assertive and pointed in its own way. A very thoughtful symbol to be woven into one's own self presentation. Curator: An astute reading, I believe. This juxtaposition encapsulates Art Nouveau's ethos. It certainly invites reflections on the changing societal and personal roles. A piece such as this challenges the static object, and reminds us to reflect on changing identity over time. Editor: For me, encountering such detail, so well conceived in design and social awareness, highlights what it meant to live and blossom as a human being, especially in Lalique's contemporary time, that to adorn oneself became a form of gentle yet confident self-empowerment.