Musketmaat, fragment bestaande uit messing huls met bodem c. 1590 - 1596

This brass fragment, a musket cartridge likely crafted anonymously, speaks volumes despite its humble appearance. Its form, a hollow cylinder, echoes primal symbols of containment and projection. Consider the ancient horn, a symbol of power and communication, or the vessel, representative of life-giving sustenance. This musket cartridge, in its own way, embodies both. It contains the potential for destruction, yet also represents the projection of force, a stark echo of humanity's will imposed upon the world. This seemingly simple object becomes a potent reminder of how symbols evolve, adapting to new contexts while retaining vestiges of their ancestral power. A weapon, born from necessity and ingenuity, becomes imbued with layers of psychological resonance, forever entwined with our collective narrative.