Stafbekroning in de vorm van Maria met kind c. 1700 - 1715

This is a silver staff top, sculpted by Johannes van der Lely, who was active at the turn of the 18th century. Van der Lely worked within a society where the Catholic Church played a central role in daily life. Here, Mary is presented as the Madonna, the mother of God, with the infant Jesus, both wearing crowns. The sculpture speaks to the power of motherhood and of the Church. In a patriarchal society, the figure of Mary allowed women to be both revered and also held to an impossible standard of purity and maternal devotion. Sculptures like this served to reinforce the social and religious expectations placed upon women. Consider the weight of this silver object, both literally and symbolically. It speaks to the enduring power and negotiation of faith, gender, and identity.