Horloge met ketting c. 1735 - 1770

Curator: It feels like something recovered from a pirate’s treasure chest. Editor: Exactly! What you're sensing is the allure of status intertwined with the everyday. This piece, entitled "Horloge met ketting" - or clock with chain - dates back to sometime between 1735 and 1770, an era marked by shifting social hierarchies. The material, silver, further points towards luxury. Curator: The baroque chain makes a real statement. Who do you think would wear something like that? Editor: Think of the wearer within the context of the Enlightenment and the rise of a wealthy merchant class. Possessing such an intricate piece spoke to economic mobility. This chain isn't just a functional object; it is symbolic of personal achievement. Curator: Absolutely! And while there is that individual level of status, I would suggest we also read the object through the lens of political economy and Dutch trade during this era. Access to global resources for metals would be limited. How does this piece and its materials signal imperial networks? Editor: Good point. This isn’t simply a timepiece, but a manifestation of colonial networks. These networks had massive impact in labor exploitation and commodification for Dutch elites. By the Baroque era the world was indeed getting smaller but there were major consequences that someone carrying around this clock would need to reckon with. The artistry involved, particularly with metalwork of this scale, must have come at considerable costs. Curator: Well, looking closely makes one wonder, in what ways was personal artistic expression possible within rigid power structures and colonial networks? Editor: Precisely. Analyzing the silverwork of this chain then leads to some discomfort when one understands the degree of exploitation happening elsewhere. So next time you check the time consider who and what had to happen in order for that device to be possible. Curator: Thank you!