Trouwen dienst bij de landmacht Possibly 1825

Curator: Well, this looks official. Quite lovely in a severe, stately way. It's "Trouwen Dienst bij de landmacht," or "Loyal Service in the Army," possibly from around 1825. Editor: A medal then. So what does it feel like to you? Is it something to treasure, a melancholic reminder? Curator: A bit of both, I suppose. I find it melancholic only in its austere way; there’s not a lot of personal touches, at least at first glance. The metal and the neoclassical design feel impersonal and almost cold. Editor: Impersonal perhaps because these are two distinct faces of authority: the soldier, on the one hand, being called to the service of the land, and on the other, those doing the calling? There are two sets of visual symbolism, and I feel that's important. Curator: That’s a solid way to describe that feeling, that it's speaking to two audiences. The engraving—the technique used in this print on metal—feels both meticulous and detached, a paradox of craft. It presents like cold, hard, loyal service. Editor: Precisely. The medium, this metallic silver, the use of Neoclassicism. Each lends itself to different, seemingly conflicting ideas. There is something about the contrast between something seemingly beautiful and ornate with the fact of being rewarded, maybe with this medal, for serving in an army. Where does individual liberty come in? Or the morality of obedience in wartime? Curator: Those tensions definitely pull in interesting directions. It makes me wonder about the recipient. Did they wear this medal with pride, with a bit of ironic detachment, or something else entirely? It makes me think what sort of contemporary parallels would look like in jewelry form today. Editor: Indeed, an engagement piece with "I Gave My Consent" carved into the band... The piece offers space to probe duty, obedience, and the state with regard to individual rights and obligations. It’s not just decoration. Curator: No, it's a provocation—a tiny, weighty thing prompting very big thoughts.