Deksel van tinnen flapkan of kruik c. 1590 - 1596

This is a pewter lid for a flapkan or jug, part of the Rijksmuseum collection. The lid with a hinge system, though unsigned, speaks volumes about social life in its time. Consider the cultural associations of pewter ware in the Netherlands. This kind of object was common in middle-class households. It reflects an aspirational culture in which a family was eager to display its wealth through functional objects of daily life. In thinking about the place of this lid in Dutch society, we can turn to period inventories, probate records, and other archival sources to find out who owned such objects and how they were displayed. Close examination of the object itself, as well as research into the material culture of its time, allows us to understand more fully the social and cultural context in which it was made and used.