Eed van trouw tussen Liedekercke, Boursse en Rouch, met Charitas en Fiducia after 1577

This is a cast-metal plaquette, likely made in the Netherlands, depicting the families Liedekercke, Boursse and Rouch joined together. The piece is remarkable for its high level of relief, an effect achieved by skilled metalworking. The design may have begun as a wax model, carefully built up to allow for the deep undercutting that defines the composition. It would then have been used as the basis for a mold, likely made of sand or clay, into which the molten metal was poured. Once cooled, the casting would have been refined by hand, using chasing tools to sharpen the details. Note, for instance, the crisp folds of the drapery and the expressive faces of the figures. The material itself, whether bronze or brass, has a sober quality, appropriate to the gravity of the subject. But the complex process of production elevates this object far beyond mere utility. It stands as a testament to the ingenuity of the artist and the enduring power of craftsmanship.