Deksel van nap c. 1590 - 1596

This small lid, now in the Rijksmuseum, was made anonymously from a single piece of wood. Look closely, and you'll see the marks of the tools used to carve it - likely an axe or gouge to roughly shape the exterior, and smaller implements to hollow out the inside. The wood's texture and grain are left bare, a testament to the directness of the maker's hand. The visible cracks are evidence of age and use. This object speaks to a time when everyday items were painstakingly crafted, not mass-produced. The labor involved in its creation would have been considerable, reflecting a slower pace of life, closely tied to available natural resources. Such a humble object challenges our assumptions about design and artistic expression. It invites us to consider the value of handmade artifacts, and their connection to the social realities of those who made and used them.