Miniature coffin c. 1787

This miniature coffin resides here at the Rijksmuseum, its maker unknown. Notice the stark geometry, the rigid lines and smooth surfaces, which cast a sense of finality. The anonymous artist fashioned this small object from ebony or a similar dark material and it is punctuated by minimal metal details. The coffin's function is less about practical burial and more about symbolic weight. Its diminutiveness destabilizes our understanding of death's grandeur and instead encapsulates grief in a condensed form. It invites us to consider how objects embody and communicate complex emotions. In its structure and design, the artist plays with semiotic codes, reducing the coffin to its essential form, transforming it into a potent symbol. Ultimately, the coffin prompts us to consider not only mortality but how we, as humans, create meaning through objects. This approach of encoding objects with symbolism underscores a continuous dialogue between form and interpretation.