Fragment van een pijpenkop uit het wrak van de Oost-Indiëvaarder 't Vliegend Hart Possibly 1700 - 1735

This is a fragment of a clay pipe bowl recovered from the wreck of the Dutch East India Company ship 't Vliegend Hart. This humble object speaks volumes about the global trade networks of the 18th century. The Dutch East India Company, a powerful entity, dominated trade routes between Europe and Asia. Aboard their ships, tobacco was a common commodity and smoking a widespread habit. The pipes themselves were often produced in the Netherlands, specifically for export. This fragment, then, is a trace of a vast system of exchange, connecting producers, consumers, and distant lands. It invites us to consider the economic structures that enabled this trade, the social practices that shaped its consumption, and the environmental impact of shipping. By examining maritime shipping records, company archives, and archaeological reports, we can reconstruct the world to which this pipe once belonged, understanding it not just as an object but as a tangible link to the past.