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

Curator: Here we have “Fragment rib van een rund uit het wrak van de Oost-Indiëvaarder Hollandia,” dating back to before 1748. Editor: Woah, talk about history in your hand, or well, encased in glass! I'm immediately struck by its fragility, like ancient parchment crumbled by time. You can practically smell the sea salt. Curator: Indeed. This artifact, part of the Rijksmuseum collection, is literally a piece of history salvaged from the wreck of the Dutch East India Company ship Hollandia. Editor: I find myself picturing that rib inside the full form of the animal. Did they just eat better on the ship or sacrifice them in case of heavy storm? What was it to them, more than just a piece of dinner. You know, it brings such a human aspect into what can often feel like dry, factual accounts. The wear and spots gives such depth to it, it speaks volumes of its journey. Curator: What fascinates me is its form and texture. It’s an anonymous sculpture formed by accident, by the very sea and the weight of time. It speaks not of classical form but organic processes and a shift from purpose to a new state of being. It exemplifies entropy as artistic medium, a silent scream that links natural science, historical trauma and sculpture together into an idea. Editor: Hauntingly put, isn't it? I feel a story aching to burst out. It's amazing how something so small and seemingly insignificant can evoke such vast emotions and possibilities. Imagine this on a mantelpiece with a spotlight pointing up? Curator: And perhaps that, ultimately, is the power of the relic, not just as document, but as an art object speaking to materiality, memory, and history, all bound together. Editor: Totally. It's a small, understated artwork, that speaks of immense journeys. From life, through commerce and death into a new life within a museum. What a beautiful contradiction.