Model van het oorlogschip Salamander of Draak 1660 - 1672

This is a scale model of a warship, the Salamander or Draak, crafted by an anonymous artist. Ship models like this one provide insights into the culture of maritime power in countries like the Netherlands. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch Republic was a major naval power, and ship models were not merely decorative objects, but tools used by shipbuilders, naval officers, and merchants to study ship design and technology. The amount of detail on display here is remarkable: note the intricacies of the rigging, the rows of cannons, and the carved decorations, which reflect a blend of technical expertise and artistic skill. To understand this model fully, we need to investigate the social and economic forces behind Dutch maritime power, as well as the institutional history of naval technology. The archives of the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch navy are rich resources for this kind of research, helping us to contextualize this object within a broader story of trade, warfare, and colonialism.