Knechts van het passement- en lintwerkersgilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van Hendrik van den Hooven 1700

Editor: So, this is a guild badge dating from 1700, made by Hendrik van den Hooven. It's bronze. Looking at it, I’m struck by the craftsmanship of the relief. What symbols do you see at play here? Curator: Right away, I notice the heraldic imagery. The lions flanking the figure – potentially a patron saint, or maybe a master craftsman. They represent courage, nobility, and of course, power. That's the cultural memory immediately invoked. Now, look at the other side with the crown and weaving tools. What do those signify to you? Editor: Status? A literal representation of their craft? Curator: Precisely! Crowns are powerful symbols, here maybe showing the guild's aspirations and elevated status within Amsterdam society. Think about it – in that time, guilds held immense economic and political sway. That small image contains echoes of power struggles, societal structures… it’s a condensed story. Does this medallion communicate that complexity, you think? Editor: I hadn't really thought about it, but you’re right. I was too focused on just the craftsmanship rather than how loaded each image would have been back then. Curator: These symbols tapped into deeply held cultural understandings. This medal wasn't just decorative. It was a signifier of identity, belonging, and even privilege. Now, knowing that, does it change how you perceive the object? Editor: It definitely does. It moves beyond just a pretty object. You begin to think of all the things the medal represents, almost like a mini-monument to that moment in time and the power that those artisans held in society. Curator: Absolutely! We unlock those cultural memories embedded in the image, and it speaks again.