Deksel van een musketmaat van messing met een leren huls en leren oortjes c. 1590 - 1596

This is a lid for a musket measure, made from brass with a leather sleeve, by an anonymous artist. The object dates from a period defined by conflict and colonization, and it is connected to power dynamics. While the maker is unknown, the object speaks volumes about a time when firearms defined relationships between individuals, and between colonizers and the colonized. The lid itself is unassuming, yet it served a crucial function in warfare and trade. Muskets, tools of domination, were also commodities. This object, with its simple construction, embodies an intersection of military might and economic exchange. It invites us to reflect on the hands that crafted it, the soldiers who used the musket, and the lives impacted by its use. Consider the countless untold stories connected to it, it is a tangible reminder of a complex and often brutal past.