Handvat van donker hout voor een paraplu of parasol, met een knop van been; met draagriem c. 1910 - 1920

This dark wooden handle for an umbrella or parasol, made by Gustav Schnitzler, is an intriguing object. Just think about the process of making, about the way the artisan chooses the wood, the particular dark grain and texture. How did he smooth and polish the surface to such a dark sheen? Look closely, and you'll see the details: the way the cord is tied around it, the subtle bone button at the end. It's almost like a miniature sculpture, with a beautiful tension between the smooth, polished wood and the rougher texture of the cord. The bone button, a small detail, offers a point of light against the dark wood, like a tiny highlight in a painting. This object reminds me a little of Brancusi's sculptures – that same sense of distilled form, of reducing an object to its essence. And like a good painting, it leaves space for the viewer to fill in the gaps, to imagine the umbrella or parasol it once supported, and the person who carried it.