Mitra shell from the wreck of the Dutch East India ship Witte Leeuw before 1613

This Mitra shell was recovered from the wreck of the Dutch East India ship Witte Leeuw, which sank in 1613. While not crafted by human hands, its presence in the Rijksmuseum speaks volumes about trade, collecting, and our relationship with the natural world. The shell’s form, a gently twisting cone, is a testament to the slow, deliberate processes of nature. The mottled pattern, creamy white overlaid with warm browns, hints at the marine environment from which it came. But consider its journey: plucked from its habitat, carried across oceans as a curio, a symbol of exotic lands. Its presence on a Dutch East India ship connects it directly to the history of global trade, where natural resources were extracted and commodified. The Witte Leeuw was laden with textiles, ceramics, and precious metals, all representing intense labor. This shell, in its own way, embodies that story too. It’s a reminder that even the most beautiful natural objects can be implicated in complex social and economic histories.