Lepel met ronde bak en een zeszijdige steel c. 1590 - 1596

This is an anonymous metal spoon with a round bowl and hexagonal handle housed in the Rijksmuseum. While seemingly simple, everyday objects like this one offer historians a unique window into past lives and social structures. Consider the unseen labor involved in its creation. Who mined the metal? Who shaped it? And for whom was it made? Was it a common utensil, or a luxury item? These questions open up avenues of inquiry into the economic and social hierarchies of its time. We can investigate the changing status of metalwork, the organization of craft guilds, and the trade networks that distributed these goods. Studying objects like this alongside paintings, sculptures, and architecture reveals the richness and complexity of the past, reminding us that even the humblest artifact can tell a compelling story. Primary sources like trade records, household inventories, and archaeological reports can all help us to reconstruct the spoon's journey through history.