Bedieningsdoos 1845

This is a diminutive silver box, likely Dutch and of indeterminate age, topped with a cross. Immediately, the cross marries the tradition of silver craftsmanship with religious identity. The box itself is a study in modest elegance, its form dictated by function. The addition of the cross moves the object beyond utility, into the realm of personal or even liturgical significance. But, importantly, whose religion? Whose sense of self is being represented here? A historian might wonder if the cross indicates its owner’s allegiance during the religious conflicts that have plagued the Netherlands since the Reformation. One would need to examine the archives of silversmith guilds, and church records, and explore personal inventories. Piecing together the provenance of such an object is contingent on understanding the social contexts that gave it meaning.