Schrijfcassette met voorstelling van schepen op de rede van Batavia 1800 - 1825

Editor: This object is a writing box or ‘schrijfcassette’ that includes a depiction of ships at the bay of Batavia. Created between 1800 and 1825 with mixed media and wood. There's a subtle sadness about this piece; maybe it's the miniature scene of ships against a dark background that evokes a sense of loneliness and colonial enterprise. What do you make of this work? Curator: It speaks to me of journeys, of longing and remembering a faraway home while establishing a life in a new place. It’s almost like a portable daydream. Think about it, the artist carefully placed a miniature landscape on an everyday object. This simple black box then became a vessel of imagination. Who used it? What letters were written at this traveling desk? Love letters? Tales of loneliness? Editor: It's fascinating to consider that an everyday object could be so deeply imbued with meaning. Given the colonial context, what’s your take on the ‘Orientalism’ style classification applied here? Is that fitting? Curator: That's a great question! Yes, the hint of “Orientalism” highlights a Western fascination, maybe even romanticization, of the East. In that way, yes, it fits, but to see this box purely through the lens of colonial gaze feels like a limited perspective, don't you think? Perhaps the tiny floral flourishes and elegant ship compositions also suggest the work of an Indonesian craftsman catering to European tastes… I wonder if it's a souvenir from afar for a merchant shipping tea and spices back to Europe. What do you think about the cultural context of production? Editor: Good point! It makes you consider it less as a simple object and more as a historical and cultural crossroads. I definitely look at this piece with fresh eyes. Thank you! Curator: Indeed, It's like looking at a tiny time capsule with a spyglass.