Tools c. 1590 - 1596

This tool of unknown date and maker is made from wood and metal. Its presence in the Rijksmuseum raises interesting questions about the politics of display. We might ask how this object becomes art, and what laboring hands brought it into being? In the Netherlands, with its powerful guilds and trading companies, craft knowledge was often a jealously guarded secret. Anonymous objects like this might represent the everyday lives of ordinary artisans, whose names were not recorded by history. Without knowing the specific date or place of origin for this tool, we can only speculate about its purpose or use. But its presence here reminds us that museums don't just display art, but that museums create and shape the very definition of art. The museum’s archive, as well as period trade directories and guild records, might shed light on this object and the social forces that produced it.