Model of a Jeer 1820

J. Matthijsen made this 'Model of a Jeer' from wood and rope. The model’s title suggests that it might have been intended as a teaching aid for young sailors. Models like these remind us of the Dutch Republic’s naval power and its global trade networks. Without the knowledge to rig and operate sailing ships, the Netherlands would not have become a major economic power in the 17th and 18th centuries. These blocks and ropes, so neatly and precisely made, allude to the Republic's complex social structures. The Dutch East India Company was the first multinational corporation and a pioneer of modern capitalism. Its fleets dominated the seas, and this required a vast workforce from rope makers to sailors. The historian can shed light on this object by consulting manuals on seamanship and archival records of the Dutch East India Company. We can learn much about the role of technology, labor, and trade in shaping Dutch society.