Koevoet van ijzer met aan het ondereinde een punt en aan het boveneinde twee platte afgebroken vleugels c. 1590 - 1596

Curator: This object, residing here at the Rijksmuseum, is described as a "Koevoet van ijzer met aan het ondereinde een punt en aan het boveneinde twee platte afgebroken vleugels," or "Iron crowbar with a point at the bottom end and two flat broken wings at the top end." It’s believed to have been created circa 1590 to 1596. Editor: Immediately, it evokes a sense of disruption and, frankly, brutality. That rough, almost organic texture contrasts sharply with its intended function as a tool for prying and leverage. Curator: Indeed, the materiality speaks volumes. Iron, forged and hammered – it's indicative of the labor involved. This wasn’t a pristine, mass-produced object; you can practically see the smith's hand in the undulations of the metal. And those broken "wings," that suggests wear and tear, a history of use. Editor: Those 'wings,' you call them 'broken wings,' which makes me wonder, were they originally intended as more decorative? Is there a symbolism to flight, now lost or frustrated through breakage? It speaks of thwarted ambitions, perhaps. Think about the Renaissance fascination with classical imagery and broken monuments! Curator: Perhaps, but I think we're also seeing a reality of artisanal production. Ironwork wasn't merely utilitarian; even tools could be subtly imbued with the maker’s touch, their social context in workshops, local iron availability, client, etc. It served its function and had limited lifespans. Editor: I cannot escape from seeing something evocative and beyond mere function in that crude form! Consider its stark simplicity. The crowbar, an agent of change, forceful removal, transition. It’s about breaking boundaries, both literally and figuratively. It even suggests hidden meaning in mundane existence. Curator: True, but its symbolic interpretation remains fluid. Perhaps we impose meaning retroactively. Maybe, if you'll let me be extremely pragmatic, we simply must recall how such iron impacted domestic settings, commercial exchanges or the larger community’s development when reflecting upon this unassuming thing. Editor: You ground my flights of fancy with practical application! Still, the object has indeed allowed us to speculate both materially and symbolically!