Societe d'Horticulture te Antwerpen 1840

This bronze medal, crafted by Joseph-Pierre Braemt, presents the heraldic shield of the Société d'Horticulture amidst a garland of flowers. The shield, surmounted by a crown, signifies not just civic pride but also dominion over nature. Consider the wreath of flowers. Since ancient times, floral wreaths have symbolized honor and achievement. Think of the laurel wreaths crowning victors in Roman triumphs. The presence of flowers speaks to the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, an eternal return that deeply resonates within the human psyche. The shield, bearing the architectural towers, suggests the cultivation and taming of the natural world within urban constructs. This interplay between the wild and the ordered mirrors our own internal struggle, our attempts to control chaos and cultivate beauty. A dichotomy that plays out in an endless cycle.