Fragmenten van pijpenstelen uit het wrak van de Oost-Indiëvaarder 't Vliegend Hart Possibly 1700 - 1735

These are fragments of smoking pipe stems recovered from the wreck of the Dutch East India ship 't Vliegend Hart. While seemingly mundane, these humble objects open a window onto a complex web of global trade, colonial expansion, and changing social habits. These pipes were aboard a ship belonging to one of the first multinational corporations, the Dutch East India Company, a key player in the 17th and 18th-century spice trade. This company established trade routes, built settlements, and exerted military force across Asia. The presence of these pipes indicates the globalization of tobacco smoking, a practice that became increasingly popular in Europe. Mass-produced in the Netherlands, pipes like these were traded for goods in the East Indies. Historians delve into shipping logs, company records, and archaeological reports to reconstruct the forgotten stories of ordinary objects like these. By understanding these fragments, we learn about the social structures of the time.