Muts van Spaanse hertogskroon, geschenk van Karel II aan M.A. de Ruyter c. 1675

This is a velvet cap, decorated with silver thread and pearls. Although anonymous, it was presented by King Charles II of Spain to the Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter. De Ruyter was one of the most able admirals in Dutch history, but he was also from humble origins, and would never have been able to wear the ducal crown to which this cap belonged. So why did Charles give him such a gift? We need to understand the fraught relationship between the Dutch Republic and Spain at this time, the mid-17th century. They had been at war, off and on, for almost a century. De Ruyter had inflicted defeats on Spain. This gift was a symbolic offering of the crown. It suggested that Spain was giving up its claim to rule the Netherlands. It was a moment when diplomacy became theater. To understand such an object, we must research both the history of Dutch military leaders and the protocols of diplomacy among European monarchies.