Degen van Mr Ch. J. M.A. van Rooy, gouverneur van Limburg 1921

This sword of Mr Ch. J. M.A. van Rooy was made by an anonymous artist at an unknown date. I wonder who made this sword? What were they thinking as they burnished the metal, polished the handle? Maybe they saw themselves as a craftsperson, or maybe they thought they were making art. The handle is a pearlescent colour. I wonder if the maker liked the way the light catches it, the subtle rainbow shimmer? I am also intrigued by the contrast between the shiny metal and the dark sheath, smooth like ebony. Swords are so phallic, aren't they? Full of aggression but also so beautiful. It is a testament to our collective desire for beauty, even in instruments of violence. Maybe the anonymous maker would be surprised that we are still looking at this sword. But that's the thing about objects: they can outlive us and continue to speak to people we've never met.