Fragment rib van een rund uit het wrak van de Oost-Indiëvaarder Hollandia before 1748

This fragment of a cow rib, dating from before 1748, was recovered from the wreckage of the Dutch East India Company ship Hollandia. The Hollandia sank off the coast of Norway in 1748, and the artifact, now part of the Rijksmuseum collection, serves as a reminder of the ship's tragic end. The weathered bone, with its irregular shape and distinctive texture, provides a tangible link to the ship's past and the lives of those who sailed on it. The fragment's small size, 5.3 cm in length, 2.2 cm in width and 0.3 cm in depth, speaks to the fragility of history and the enduring power of even the most unassuming objects.