Skip to content

Specerijendoos in de vorm van het schip Mauritius

Creator Name

Curationist Logo
Unknown

Cultural Context

Curationist Logo
Dutch

Date

Curationist Logo
Creation: 17th century

About the Work

Curationist LogoCurationist Object Description
Cast in silver in the shape of the ship Mauritius, this spice box represents the opulence of Dutch colonial dominance. The Mauritius was a vessel that set out on an early Dutch East India Company (VOC) excursion to Indonesia. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, and mace—goods that the VOC traded—would be served from this box alongside other lavish dinnerware.
Rijksmuseum Object Description
Specerijendoos van zilver in de vorm van een fluitschip. Op de spiegel het wapen van Prins Maurits.

The spice trade was the most important goal of the journeys to Asia. Pepper, nutmeg, mace and cinnamon were very costly commodities. Accordingly, they were offered at table in an opulent manner. This spice box is in the shape of the Mauritius, one of the ships that had already sailed to Asia before the VOC was founded. Its lid (the deck) conceals little compartments for different spices.

Handel in specerijen was het belangrijkste doel van de reizen naar Azië. Peper, nootmuskaat, foelie en kaneel waren zeer kostbaar. Daarom werden ze op een fraaie manier op tafel gepresenteerd. Deze specerijhouder heeft de vorm van het schip ...

Work details

"--" = no data available
Curationist Logo= Curationist added metadata

Title

Specerijendoos in de vorm van het schip Mauritius

Creator

Curationist Logo
Unknown (link to bio), Metalsmith
anonymous;
anoniem;
anonymous, silversmith;
anoniem, zilversmid;
anonymous;
anoniem

Worktype

Curationist Logo
Food storage
vaatwerk; specerijdoos

Cultural Context

Curationist Logo
Dutch

Material

silver (metal); zilver; zilver; silver (metal)

Dimensions

height: 17.6cm;
hoogte: 17.6cm;
length: 24.0cm;
lengte: 24.0cm;
weight: 319gr;
gewicht: 319gr;
height 17.6 cm x length 24 cm x weight 319 g;
hoogte 17,6 cm x lengte 24 cm x gewicht (eigenschap) 319 g

Technique

--

Language

--

Date

Curationist Logo
Creation: 17th century
Expression creation: first quarter 17th century, eerste kwart 17e eeuw;
c. 1600, ca. 1600

Provenance

Curationist Logo
purchase 1878
purchase, 1878; aankoop, 1878

Style Period

--

Rights

Curationist Logo
Public Domain;
CC0
Public Domain Mark 1.0; CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0); Public domain

Inscription

--

Location

Curationist Logo
Creation: Middelburg, Zeeland
Middelburg; Middelburg; Middelburg; Middelburg (Zeeland)

Subjects

sailing-ship, sailing-boat; Maurice (Prince of Orange); Maurits (prins van Oranje); Maurice (Prince of Orange); Maurits (prins van Oranje); sailing-ship, sailing-boat

Topic

--

Curationist Contributors

Curationist Logo
Christina Stone

Related Content

Curationist Logo
Part of: The Dutch East India Company’s Colonial Trade and Plunder

All Works in Curationist’s archives can be reproduced and used freely. How to attribute this Work:

Unknown, Spice box, circa 1600. Rijksmuseum. In the shape of the ship Mauritius, this spice box may have held culinary goods from the regions where the Dutch East India Company traded. Public Domain.

Help us improve this content!

Let our archivists know if you have something to add.

Save this work.

Start an account to add this work to your personal curated collection.
masonry card