Freemasonry is an initiation society, active in the Netherlands since 1735. This dissertation discusses the history, rituals, material culture and iconography of freemasonry in the Netherlands and... Show moreFreemasonry is an initiation society, active in the Netherlands since 1735. This dissertation discusses the history, rituals, material culture and iconography of freemasonry in the Netherlands and its trade posts in India, Ceylon, the Dutch East Indies, China and Japan. The membership had particular advantages for travellers, which explains why ca. 20-30% of the employees of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) were members. They were involved in the trade in export art for the European and American markets, and also traded privately in goods for the masonic markets. The dissertation describes the daily routine in the lodges in the 18th and 19th centuries, the extraordinary ritual architecture and interiors of lodge buildings on Java, and the production of Chinese export porcelain and Japanese lacquer with complex symbolic decorations. The participation of women and (Eur)asians in lodges on Java is also briefly discussed. As such, the book offers those interested in art history, colonial history and/or the East India Company an introduction into a relatively unknown subject. It provides information for the identification and dating of relevant museum objects, and makes a large amount of material from lodge archives accessible. Show less
The relationship between the VOC (Dutch East India Company) and its servants fundamentally changed with its decline (1740-1796). The changing circumstances of the eighteenth century demanded too... Show moreThe relationship between the VOC (Dutch East India Company) and its servants fundamentally changed with its decline (1740-1796). The changing circumstances of the eighteenth century demanded too much of the VOC. The solution to these new demands was not sought in new capitalization from Europe, but in a combination of cutbacks on activities in Asia and augmented usage of servants’ fortunes. The domains the VOC retreated from were filled by privileges to the servants. As the VOC depended more on its servants during its decline, the balance of power between them shifted in favour of the servants. This change in balance demanded more of the servants, forcing them to organize themselves differently to meet the new challenges. In the end, this change of perspective makes the development much more comparable to the changes the English East India Company went through, and provides a new perspective on changes in the position of the EIC-servants in the period around Plassey (1757). Show less
