Schippersgilde te 's-Hertogenbosch, gildepenning door het gilde geschonken aan opperdeken Pieter Johan Franken 1770

This is a silver guild badge, made by Joan F. van Wolfsbergen for the skippers' guild in 's-Hertogenbosch. It was gifted to their dean, Pieter Johan Franken. The badge is made of a single disc of silver, decorated with engraved lines. Silver is a precious material, but the design is relatively simple. It appears to have been made using hand tools, yet it is also a standardized object, a token of membership in an organization that was itself designed to regulate trade. Look closely, and you can see a sailing ship on one side, and an elaborate coat of arms on the other, both are symbols of the guild's activities and status. The inscription around the edges further reinforces the badge's purpose: to commemorate and celebrate the role of Pieter Johan Franken within the guild. It is an example of a guild member's labor and position. This badge is a reminder that even seemingly simple objects can be rich with meaning, reflecting the social and economic structures of their time. It challenges our assumptions about what constitutes art, craft, and design, and encourages us to consider the value of skilled labor and the importance of collective identity.