Large Pendant, Victory Flanked by Two Herms at Centre 1596

Editor: So this is "Large Pendant, Victory Flanked by Two Herms at Centre," a print by Daniel Mignot from 1596. It's incredible how much detail he managed to fit into a design that would have been quite small in reality. What's your take on the symbolism here? Curator: Well, the entire image vibrates with power symbols. Victory, of course, but flanked by Herms, these figures representing boundaries and transitions. Notice how they anchor her, stabilizing the exuberant flair. This echoes into those heraldic beasts on the lower corners, sentinels guarding the creative enterprise. The rabbits could evoke fecundity and vitality and this pendant shape? Editor: It almost looks like a theater curtain to me, maybe that's unintentional? Curator: An intriguing perspective. Think of Renaissance pendants and jewels, badges of belonging, status symbols broadcasting family history, personal allegiance, secret affiliations. Consider too the formal constraints: balance and symmetry dictating a particular cultural logic and aesthetic order, the engraving becoming like an emblematic language. The question remains: who exactly, beyond Mignot, spoke that language, then? Editor: Someone commissioning the pendant, certainly, maybe even wearing it to make a particular statement? Curator: Precisely! Or perhaps meant to signify their aspiration, hopes, their dreams. It is a powerful idea, and this becomes another aspect of its emotional appeal today, even for a non-wearer. Editor: It's funny to think that an object so clearly about displaying status and power has become an intriguing drawing on display in its own right. I'll definitely be thinking about symbols and emblems when I see jewelry now. Curator: Excellent! This reminds us of symbols’ staying power.