Zegelstempel en contrazegelstempel met wapen van Cornelis Lampsins 1671

Curator: We're looking at an object crafted in 1671, described as a seal stamp and counter-seal stamp bearing the coat of arms of Cornelis Lampsins. It’s an ivory sculpture, rather unassuming in size. Editor: My first impression? Simple elegance, really. I'm struck by how a functional object can possess this quiet, sculptural beauty. It’s surprisingly meditative, actually, with its concentric lines drawing the eye inward. Curator: The choice of ivory elevates it beyond the purely functional, wouldn't you agree? Ivory in the Baroque era conveyed status, luxury… Editor: Absolutely. It’s loaded with symbolic weight. Ivory, derived from elephants, connects to notions of power, exotic lands, and wealth amassed through trade, quite common then. It speaks volumes, this object, about the world it came from. Also, that pale color suggests a link to purity, eternity, right? Sealing deals with something so suggestive creates such a story in my mind. Curator: Fascinating. And, considering its use in sealing documents, there’s a hidden narrative—a personal story—of Cornelis Lampsins himself imbedded within it, don't you think? Editor: That’s what excites me! It is an emblem of identity, of ownership, quite literally stamping his authority onto the world. What was the intended effect for other people to receive this stamped seal from this person? Did they marvel at it as art as well? This isn’t just paperwork; this is a person's essence made manifest in a symbol. And in Baroque period the status symbol was everything for some. The stamp has this fascinating power of visual continuity. Curator: It becomes a historical artifact, linking us directly to individuals and events of that era. The Baroque style adds grandeur to even a small object such as this, suggesting an inherent connection with the person and the era he lived in. Editor: A beautiful intersection of form and function, luxury, power, and personality. All in the palm of your hand, so discreet, yet such potent object, capable of shaping legacies.