Erosaria spurca shell from the wreck of the Dutch East India ship Witte Leeuw before 1613

This is an Erosaria spurca shell, a naturally occurring object retrieved from the wreck of the Dutch East India ship Witte Leeuw. The ship sank in 1613, off the coast of St. Helena. The shell’s glossy surface, patterned with spots and a pale band, owes everything to the slow work of a living creature. But it came to be here due to a vast, and vastly more destructive, enterprise. The Witte Leeuw was part of the VOC, a company that epitomized early global capitalism. It violently extracted resources from colonized lands. Consider the human cost of this history. This tiny, beautiful object is a potent reminder of the complex relationship between natural beauty, human endeavor, and the deep scars of colonialism. It challenges our perception of value, urging us to consider the ethical dimensions embedded in every artifact.