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300 Clothes Pegs

By Stuart Constantine - June 12, 2006

in Object Culture

The humble clothes peg is a daily, mundane, banal object, which we all seem to posses, though we rarely look at. They function as silent servants. An object simutaneously basic and useful, it performs many functions in addition beyond its original intent. It can be used to hang, hold and fasten and endless number of materials, making it as versatile as the paper clip.

For three days this month an exhibit from the collections of Yoav Ziv and Gad Charny and curated with Israeli designer Yaacov Kaufman will showcase almost 300 examples of clothes pegs, old and new. The exhibit will be displayed in Mr. Kaufman's studio in Jaffa. We've published a sample of the collection here.

Text by Gad Charny and Photos by Yoav Ziv

One would have expected the pegs to disappear, with the appearance of clothes drying machines. On the contrary, the number and variety of clothes pegs seems only to be growing.

The Cloths Peg is a simple object - usually made of one to three parts - simple and with a clear defined purpose. For that reason it is fascinating to observe the endless variations on such a simple basic concept. The whole issue of the relationship between form and function, user and use, style, shape, adornment, engineering, production, technical and structural solutions - all can be observed, looking at clothes pegs.

Various reasons can be observed for the different variations in form and functional interpretations - it is exciting to see how many variations can be generated for such a minimal structure - a lesson in the evolution of products, a lesson in change as inherent human need, as well as the need to interpret, to innovate, to say the same differently.

The exhibit notes some of the categories of change or variations, such as visual typology, style, and attempts to "uplift" the product and its design, structure, mechanical principles, materials, functional interpretations (such as "locking" pegs), and cultural reflections, such as the Chinese bamboo peg. This one bears a family name on it, to distinguish it in a communal space.

While the collection is impressive, they are always looking for more additions. If you have a distinctive type of clothes peg from your own culture, feel free to send a sample:

Yaacov Kaufman ID Department - Bezalel Mount Scopus Campus P.O. Box 24046 Jerusalem 91240 Israel clothpeg-at-gmail-dot-com

The exhibit will be open on June 16, 23 and 30 of 2006, from 12:00 to 15:00 each day.

From left to right, Gad Charny, Yoav Ziv, Yaacov Kaufman.

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Conor

14 years ago

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Does anyone know if there are such things as clothes pegs that are fixed to a clothes line? Im looking for a peg that wont fall on the ground and break when stood on. I find it frustrating having to replace clothes pegs all the time!
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Karen&Phillip Haydock

15 years ago

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Phillip Haydock 06.March.2009
I am looking for a clip (peg) that hangs over the line and allows you to hang a coat hanger on to it .
It would be greatly appreciated if you can find such a thing ,we have the item hear but are unable to find the manufacture.
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Mike Bradley

15 years ago

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If Monique looks at my blogspot she will see that it is peg number 1343 under plastic self. I bought this peg in Sao Paulo, Brazil in May 2006. The bar code was 7896553 which would identify the manufacturer.
Cheers Gad, Yoav and Yaacov
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mary kirby

16 years ago

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the pegs that are in yellow green and red in the fifth picture from the bottom i would love to buy some of these in the yellow design i bought some of these years ago and i have very little of them left . i have searched from these everywhere could not believe it when i saw them on your web site . i would be very grateful if you could let me know how i can buy them.
thank you
mary
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nicolle

16 years ago

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Hi, Any chance you know where some of the more unusual pegs can be purchased from...the stainless steel (?), pretty shapes or glitter pegs etc ?? I live in Brisbane, Australia and would love to have a little bit of this exhibit hanging off my own hills hoist. Thanks, nicolle
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clarissa

16 years ago

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i was wondering if you knew how plastic pegs were made? it is for an assignment- very urgent!

thank you
clarissa
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p johnson

16 years ago

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I like the web page, now I can come out of the cupboard and admit to being fascinated by clothes pegs, what wonderful utilitarian things they are. They can be bright, inventive and have a multitude of uses. Long live the peg.
P.S. I wonder where the word peg originated???
Paul Johnson.
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Leisa Bekkers

17 years ago

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Hi,
I am looking to purchase some distinctly different clothes pegs for my own personal use. We live in an apartment block where it seems that everyone has the same pegs and at the end of the week/month our washing basket seems to be full of the broken or oldest pegs. We need some pegs that we know will belong only to us. Can you help me out as to where i might purchase such pegs. We are in Sydney, Australia
Kindest Regards
Leisa Bekkers
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birgitte Nielsen

17 years ago

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Do you know who produce a clothes-peg simular to the green on with 3 legs picture number 6, but in gray with a "bear" Birgitte
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Monique

18 years ago

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Do they know these ones?

http://www.arcoweb.com.br/design/design69.asp

I apologyse the content is in portuguese, but you will surely understand by seeing the pictures.
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yuyu

18 years ago

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the location of the studio please...'
i'd like to see the exhibit

yudit
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