Kraantjeskan van zilver met (oorspronkelijk drie) kranen c. 1700 - 1710

This is a silver "Kraantjeskan", or small water jug, made by Christiaan Warenberg in the Netherlands, sometime between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. These objects, only a few centimeters in height and width, can tell us a great deal about the social history of Dutch society at this time. Silver, as a precious metal, signals the wealth of the family that owned it, while the use of the jug, probably for tea or coffee, speaks to the growth of Dutch global trade routes at this time. By the 17th century, Amsterdam had become a major hub for the East India Company, bringing a variety of goods from China and Southeast Asia, and stimulating new habits around consuming hot beverages at home. Careful archival research can tell us much more about the social rituals surrounding such objects at the time.