Pijp en fragment pijpensteel uit het wrak van de Oost-Indiëvaarder 't Vliegend Hart Possibly 1700 - 1735

This is a clay pipe and stem fragment retrieved from the wreck of the Dutch East Indiaman 't Vliegend Hart' by the artist WS. Notice the whiteness of the clay and the smooth texture, subtly disrupted by marks of age and submersion. The pipe's structure is deceptively simple: a bulbous bowl gives way to a slender stem, a minimalist form echoing the period's functional aesthetic. The clean lines, typical of the era, speak to an emerging aesthetic sensibility that values utility and unadorned beauty. Consider how the pipe's design embodies the global reach of the Dutch East India Company, a tool of leisure amidst an empire built on trade and exploitation. The pipe, once a personal object, now serves as a signifier of trade, colonial exchange, and a bygone era. It invites us to ponder the complex narratives of commerce, culture, and consumption. The fragments challenge our perception of value and meaning, reminding us that even the most mundane objects can carry profound cultural weight.