Doosje voor de penning ter ere van het derde eeuwfeest van Rembrandts geboorte 1906

This small box was crafted by the Koninklijke Utrechtsche Fabriek van Zilverwerken van C.J. Begeer, probably around the time of Rembrandt's third centenary. I wonder, what was it like to be Begeer? What were they thinking when they made this box? It looks like the box is made of thin layers of paper and metal, which gives it a kind of delicate, aged quality. The text on the box is a bit faded and worn, but you can still make out the company's name and a crown symbol. It tells you they made silverware and were purveyors to royalty! Someone took pride in craft and wanted you to know about it. When I look at this box, I think about what it means to honor an artist like Rembrandt. It's about preserving their legacy, keeping their spirit alive. This box becomes a vessel for that kind of thinking. Art is not just about making things, but about this kind of dialogue, across time, which always feels like something of a gamble.