Dubbel vuurijzer uit Brabant van Maria van Bourgondië, 1480 1480

This Double Fire Iron from Brabant of Maria of Burgundy was created in 1480 by an anonymous artist. Its circular form, typical of coinage, is immediately apparent. What is striking is its almost weathered texture, achieved through the minting process on silver. This texture gives the piece an immediate sense of age and history. The composition is structured around heraldic symbols, with two lions flanking what appears to be a complex emblem. These elements, precisely rendered, are placed against a backdrop of inscribed text that frames the coin's edge. The inscription acts as a semiotic boundary, defining and containing the symbolic space within. The very act of minting, of stamping an image onto metal, implies a desire to fix meaning, to assert a certain authority. However, the coin’s worn texture and the somewhat obscure symbolism open the work up to multiple readings. It invites us to question not just what was intended, but what is communicated across time through form and material.