Houtskool uit de Oost-Indiëvaarder 't Vliegend Hart 1700 - 1735

Editor: This object, titled "Charcoal from the East Indiaman 't Vliegend Hart'," is dated between 1700 and 1735. It's an anonymous work currently held at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes me is how such a seemingly unremarkable object carries so much weight. How should we understand its place in the museum's collection? Curator: Well, this seemingly simple lump of charcoal invites us to consider the stories embedded in the everyday. Think about what it represents: the residue of a catastrophic event, the wreck of a Dutch East India Company ship. Museums, historically institutions that showcase power and artistry, now also collect and display objects tied to difficult histories, foregrounding trade, colonialism, and loss. Editor: That's a good point. It is interesting to view this as a social artifact, more than a pure art object. Was this charcoal deliberately recovered and presented, or how did it come to be preserved? Curator: That’s exactly where the layers of meaning start to unfold. The preservation itself becomes an act of remembrance and, arguably, a critique. To display this changes the museum from being simply a showcase of national pride, to a location that facilitates broader understandings of history. Is it also, perhaps, a symbolic counterpoint to the idealized paintings of ships sailing triumphantly into distant ports? Editor: Definitely. So the act of displaying it transforms its meaning. What started as debris now prompts a crucial dialogue about the ethics of trade and empire. I am amazed by how a seemingly mute object can initiate such complex conversations. Curator: Precisely. This charcoal shifts our perspective, forcing us to reflect on the societal costs that underpin narratives of progress and adventure during that period. It makes one pause and consider the complete story, even when some parts of it are very hard to witness.