Model of a Buoy 1842

This model buoy was made by Petrus van der Loo in the Netherlands in the mid-nineteenth century. It is a copper model, but would have represented something that played an essential role in the complex and expanding maritime trade networks of the period. Looking closely, we can see how the buoy is constructed, with individual plates fastened together. The visual codes here are those of industry and engineering. Van der Loo worked at the naval dockyard in Amsterdam. Was this model made as part of his employment? Was it perhaps a demonstration piece, or an example of a new technique? If we were to research this object further, we could look into Dutch naval history, the history of engineering, and the operation of the dockyards. It is through such study that we can begin to understand the social and institutional context that gave rise to this object.