Twee aanzichten van een tand van een slurfdier before 1869

This stark image presents us with two views of a tooth from a young Elephas primigenius, a mammoth, captured anonymously. The tooth, a symbol of brute strength and endurance, is presented here almost reverentially against a dark background. Consider how the mammoth, now extinct, once roamed vast landscapes, its image imprinted on the collective memory of early humans. These creatures appear in cave paintings, marking a human fascination with these powerful animals. The tooth itself, with its rough ridges, evokes a sense of age and permanence. It is not merely an object but a relic. It invites us to contemplate the forces of nature and time, and the cyclical progression of life and extinction. It is a silent monument that has resurfaced, and continues to evolve and take on new meanings as our understanding shifts.