Musketkogel c. 1590 - 1596

This lead musket ball resides in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Made by an anonymous hand, it is a stark relic of conflict and the individuals caught in its throes. We can consider this small sphere as an emblem of the anonymous lives impacted and ended by war. Its creation speaks to the historical circumstances of battle, where individual identities were often subsumed by the machinery of warfare, and the human cost often overlooked. Each mark and imperfection on its surface tells a story of creation, of a life interrupted, of potential unrealized. What kind of person would have been on the receiving end of this bullet? What were their hopes and fears? What future was stolen from them by this anonymous object? The musket ball serves as a potent reminder of the human stories often obscured by grand historical narratives. It allows us to reflect on the social dimensions of conflict and its enduring impact on the lives of everyday people.