Inktstel op een houten sokkel 1850

Editor: So, this is an inkstand on a wooden base, made around 1850 by Johannes Mattheus van Kempen. It uses materials like silver and glass, which gives it a beautiful shine, almost celestial. The figure on top looks like an angel, doesn’t it? It’s… surprisingly ornate, a little over-the-top for just an inkstand. What symbols are at play here, culturally speaking? Curator: Ah, precisely. Notice how the figure, perhaps an allegorical representation of Justice or even Fame, crowns the entire piece. And the surrounding elements – the crests, the ribbon bearing script, the very material of silver itself. They all work together. Consider this object in its original setting: what would the act of writing have symbolized at the time? Editor: Probably status, knowledge…officialdom. This isn't some biro. It’s like a whole *ceremony* for signing documents. Curator: Exactly. Think about the symbolic weight of documentation in the mid-19th century, especially as Europe grappled with industrialization and evolving political landscapes. Documents ratified treaties and documented transactions. This inkstand elevates writing into a nearly divine act. Consider the glass inkwells, flanking our central figure almost like sacred vessels. Editor: It’s almost a shrine to bureaucracy. All that pomp for signing something, even back then... kind of intense, isn’t it? Is it meant to inspire trust or maybe just declare authority? Curator: An astute question. I believe it does both simultaneously. Authority needs the veneer of trustworthiness, after all. Perhaps van Kempen’s inkstand reflects that tension. It shows us how much value they assigned to something we now do with just a keyboard and screen. It truly offers insights into cultural memory, isn't it astonishing? Editor: I never thought an inkstand could say so much! Thanks, I see it differently now, all the symbolism is making sense, that this inkstand really isn't just an inkstand!