Living Luxoriously in Ignorance: Then and Now

Since whales were hunted primarily for blubber, there was an abundance of leftover whalebone, which therefore became advertised as an opulent material. The Dutch elite valued it for its exoticism, elegance and resemblance to ivory, so it was used in corsets, fans, and decorative objects, including our plaques. Of course, this was done without acknowledging the world of destruction and exploitation that lay behind the beauty and status. This disconnect - between mindless consumption and its production - remains alarmingly relevant today. Both resource and labour exploitation persist in large modern industries, forgetting ethical considerations in the name of profit and consumer desires.

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