Oesterschelp met zeefiguren en een rots met planten c. 1700

Curator: Look at this, would you? It’s Cornelis Bellekin's “Oesterschelp met zeefiguren en een rots met planten," dating back to around 1700. Carved in ivory on… well, an oyster shell. A baroque miniature, of sorts. What catches your eye? Editor: Goodness, it's like a dreamscape found its way onto a beach. I see a world of mythical beings shimmering beneath some ethereal trees, all encased in pearly shell. What an utterly strange, and utterly lovely little world. Curator: The “utterly strange” is partly why these carvings were so popular amongst collectors. These shells, and the objects carved from them, spoke to a world of burgeoning natural science. It speaks to curiosity and desire. They reflect a cabinet of curiosities approach to the world. How did they think about other worlds and display that wealth and wonder in their homes? Editor: And there is eroticism afoot, too! Those cherubic faces are innocent enough, but there’s something about the poses, the lounging figures half-formed out of the shell itself, that teases. It feels mischievous. A secret revealed in an unexpected place. Curator: Exactly! These erotic themes certainly add another layer to their appeal, especially considering the socio-cultural climate of the time. These erotic miniature themes are certainly something. Eroticism, piety and nascent natural sciences! These sorts of combinations speak volumes. How it operated as social commentary, is another fascinating subject. Editor: Indeed! This tiny, iridescent stage presents us a playful paradox. It encapsulates an impulse to uncover beauty from both the physical and imaginative realms, to challenge prudish societal mores. The very intimacy it affords brings us closer to a past time, yet challenges that past through today’s societal lenses. I appreciate how it captures the desire and innocence that exist somewhere along humanity's ever flowing, yet at the same time changing streams. Curator: A fitting ending there. It really encourages me to keep seeking such paradoxes in the past.