Zonnewijzer van Wassenaar c. 1719 - 1733

Curator: So, let’s delve into this intriguing sundial from Wassenaar, crafted by David Coster, likely between 1719 and 1733. It’s metal, Baroque in style, and it’s hard to miss the precision! Editor: Oh, my goodness, it looks like something out of a pirate movie! All aged gold and cryptic markings... You know, time-telling as high art. I wonder who agonized over the design. Curator: Agonizing, perhaps. It makes me consider who had access to time in the 18th century. Knowing the hour precisely would have been vital for mercantile endeavors, navigation, and consolidating burgeoning global networks of power. For whom was time most precious? And whose labor was subjected to its unyielding demands? Editor: Heavy, man, but so true. It is a power dynamic captured in metal. The craftsmanship! Those delicate curls of the gnomon contrast starkly with the implied purpose: a cage built of hours! But then, on a more immediate level, I just keep wondering if it works. I imagine needing a PhD in astrophysics just to make sure you are on time for tea. Curator: Absolutely. While beautiful, sundials needed adjusting based on latitude, date... knowledge that was generally available to the educated elite, usually men, during the period. Coster designed other mathematical instruments as well, speaking to increasing specialisation of labor in Europe at the time. But I’d argue its symbolism extends even to the present, beyond navigation. Consider how clock time regulates so much of modern life and shapes capital. Editor: Oof. Yeah, try telling your boss the sundial was off and you are invoking historical precedent for tardiness. Still, seeing this object kind of brings the grand sweep of time into focus – like it both diminishes the importance of, say, a late report, but makes you really consider what you want to do *with* those hours the dial measures. Heavy for pirate décor, I guess. Curator: Exactly. Its geometric form and ornate design reflect a cultural moment grappling with precision and luxury—two ideas historically entwined with elitism and control, even to this day. Editor: A fancy hourglass reminding you of the wealth gap... What a thought. Still, pretty snazzy bit of metalwork! Curator: Precisely. Let's leave our listeners to ponder that potent paradox. Editor: Indeed.