Vrede van Rastatt 1714

This is a silver medal, the Vrede van Rastatt, made by an anonymous artist. On one side, two figures in classical dress extend their hands to each other, their meeting mediated by the symmetry of two palm trees that flank either side of the scene. The medal’s composition reflects a desire for balance and order after conflict. The inscription, ‘CONVENERE DVCES PRO PALMIS IVNGERE PALMAS’ – ‘The leaders met to join hands for palms’ – speaks to the semiotic function of the clasped hands. It is a codified representation of agreement and alliance. On the reverse, we see the inscription 'VI MARTII A. MDCCXTVII. PAX RASTADIENSIS', marking the date of the Peace of Rastatt on the 6th of March, 1714. Above this, the image of two fish alludes to the astrological sign of Pisces, reflecting a connection between human events and celestial order. The medal acts as a symbolic marker, encapsulating a specific historical moment within a framework of classical imagery and astrological symbolism. It suggests a desire to situate the Peace of Rastatt not just within history, but within a larger, cosmically ordained structure.