Veldfles gebruikt door J.W. Kalkhoven, in 1830/32 Luitenant Kolonel 1800 - 1830

Editor: This is an intriguing object – a water bottle, or 'veldfles' as it's called, used by Lieutenant Colonel J.W. Kalkhoven around 1830. It seems to be constructed from various materials – perhaps leather, wood, and some kind of rope. The object has a well used patina; what do you make of it? Curator: What strikes me is the object's clear utility, a product of skilled craftsmanship yet decidedly not "high art" in the traditional sense. This ‘veldfles’ embodies the material conditions of military life in the early 19th century. Think about the availability – and constraints – of resources at that time. Where did Kalkhoven obtain the leather? How was it treated? What was the social context of its production? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. It makes you wonder about the specific labor involved, the hands that shaped this object. Was it a mass-produced item, or something more personal? Curator: Exactly! Consider the rope, likely hemp or flax. The way these common materials are shaped through simple manufacturing and assembled indicates both ingenuity and practicality, speaking volumes about the material culture of the military and beyond, but also begs a closer examination of class and social order during the height of imperial expansions. Editor: So, you’re saying we can understand more about 19th-century military life by looking at this everyday object? Curator: Precisely. This humble canteen speaks volumes about resourcefulness and a particular material context. By examining this object closely we can appreciate how military campaigns across Africa had vast social impact for people, manufacture and extraction of materials. Editor: That’s given me a whole new appreciation for what this ‘veldfles’ represents, its not merely functional, but embedded with social impact, now that I think of it. Curator: Indeed, challenging preconceived notions is important in appreciating the depth that an item such as this represents.