Model of a Carriage for a 4-Pounder Gun 1800

This is a wooden model of a carriage for a four-pounder gun, made by Jochem Pietersz. Asmus, who lived from 1755 to 1837. Asmus lived through a revolutionary period in Europe, witnessing the rise and fall of empires, and the birth of new political ideologies. His meticulous craftsmanship might be seen as both a celebration of military technology and a commentary on the human cost of conflict. The model's existence poses questions about identity and purpose: Was it a demonstration piece, intended to showcase technical skill, or a more personal reflection on the nature of power and violence? How does the intimate scale of the model change our relationship to the war machine it represents? Consider the lives of soldiers and civilians affected by the weapons Asmus depicted, and how their stories are both overshadowed and implicated by such objects. Does this model celebrate or critique the theater of war?