Bottega Veneta presents “The Knot: A Retrospective”, a travelling exhibition celebrating one of its most renowned bags, the Knot clutch. The exhibition, originally introduced in April 2008 in Milan and presenting over 100 versions of the iconic bag, continued its journey around the world and stopped at Bottega Veneta Boutique Villaggio Mall in Doha, Qatar on the 16th of November 2016.

The Knot is one of Bottega Veneta’s most recognizable and beloved handbags, as well as an example of its exceptional craftsmanship. When Tomas Maier took the reins as Creative Director in 2001, he immediately recognized the special quality of the small, rounded box clutch first created in the 1980s. Maier introduced a new closure in the shape of a small intrecciato leather knot and gave the bag its name.

Since then, countless versions of the Knot have been featured in every Bottega Veneta collection. Its perfect shape and clear function have proved an irresistible canvas for Maier and the Bottega Veneta artisans. Modern interpretations have ranged from the refined to the fanciful, including the Ellisse Knot, made with metal chains positioned elliptically; the Knot in intrecciato soft crocodile that is completely hand-woven; the Knot in intrecciato Argento Antique, hand-woven to create the same sophisticated effect of woven leather; the Knot which features thousands of gemstone charms; the Knot in oxidised moiré silver with its finely-engraved metalwork; the Knot in Crocodile Lavé, featuring details in intrecciato Argento Antique; the Knot in hand-woven Maggiore leather with details in stitched and embroidered Karung; the Knot enriched with embedded cabochon-cut gemstones creating a unique pattern; the Knot in intrecciato Vernice Bombé, which has an extraordinary and elegant shape.

Selected versions of the Knot are created in limited editions of sometimes no more than twenty-five pieces, depending upon production timing and the availability of rare and precious materials used to make them.

For Tomas Maier, one of the biggest challenges with initially organizing the retrospective was finding examples from the 1980s and 1990s. “The company never kept an archive,” he explains, “so to reconstruct the history of the Knot we had to search in vintage stores and private collections. It’s been like a treasure hunt.” The bag has both historical and creative significance for Maier. “The Knot is very much a symbol of Bottega Veneta, a link to the house’s history and to its future creations. This simple little box shape, so defined in form and functionality, is like a white canvas that offers infinite creative opportunities.”