De voorzittershamer van het oorlogskabinet Gerbrandy before 1940

This is the gavel of the Gerbrandy war cabinet, an anonymously made object of unknown date. It is small, dark and unassuming, but like a drawing, it holds the potential for big decisions, serious judgement. The black surface of the wood is polished, it is hard to discern how this was constructed, but the form is simple and pleasing. A kind of understated beauty is on display in the subtle curves of the handle. I wonder about the hand that carved it, what tool was used to give it this shape, and the hand that held it in meetings. The sombre associations of its function are offset by its modest form. The colour is so dark as to almost be without colour, so it’s up to the viewer to bring their own associations to it. As an object of governance, it echoes Jasper Johns’ Savarin can with paintbrushes, a still life that manages to question the very nature of objects, images, and authority.