Lepeltje van het Nationaal Crisis Comité c. 1932 - 1936

Editor: This delicate object is called "Lepeltje van het Nationaal Crisis Comite," or “Spoon of the National Crisis Committee," dating from between 1932 and 1936, by an anonymous artist. It’s metal, maybe silver? It looks like a souvenir. I wonder what kind of crisis it refers to? What’s the story this little spoon holds? Curator: The symbolism is rich, isn't it? Notice the lion rampant and the crown; clear heraldic markers of national identity and authority. This spoon functions as a miniature monument. I find myself pondering what it means to commemorate a crisis in this way. A souvenir, yes, but for whom, and why? Editor: So, the lion represents the nation, like a national symbol. What about the “NCC” engraved on the spoon? And what does the rope detail surrounding those letters mean? Curator: Precisely! It points to national pride and continuity through a very turbulent period. The "NCC," likely an abbreviation, combined with the rope – a life preserver perhaps – tells of grappling with difficulties, seeking solutions, maybe even survival during times of great uncertainty. Does this visual vocabulary resonate with current events, with feelings about national resilience, do you think? Editor: I suppose, seeing it this way, it reminds you of… everything still being kept together even if everything is unstable. This spoon is also much more serious than a regular souvenir. Curator: It makes me think about how we choose to remember collective trauma, and what symbols we employ to make sense of them. How do everyday objects become invested with the weight of history? And to think, a spoon is ordinarily such an unassuming thing! Editor: That’s fascinating! I didn’t think I could read so much from such a small spoon! Curator: These small things often whisper the loudest! Hopefully it provided some insight into how objects collect stories.