Latijnse school van Gouda, penning uitgereikt aan Diederik Louis, baron van Brakell tot den Brakell bij zijn promotie 1786

Editor: Here we have a medal from 1786, given to Diederik Louis, Baron van Brakell tot den Brakell upon his graduation from the Latin School of Gouda. It's metal, and the imagery is so intricate, almost Baroque. What symbols strike you the most? Curator: Immediately, the heraldic imagery. Notice the shield, the crown, and the flanking lions – all deliberate choices communicating power, lineage, and civic pride. These weren’t just decorative; they were deeply meaningful signifiers to contemporaries. Do you see any particular iconographic elements within the Brakell family arms? Editor: I notice the birds. What do they represent? Curator: Ah, those are merlettes. In heraldry, they often signify nobility or swiftness. But I always wonder, why merlettes, and not eagles, known as solar symbols standing for light, consciousness, and the spiritual principle? How do the formal inscriptions in Latin inform the symbolism and historical memory of this object? Editor: The Latin inscriptions underscore the historical nature of this object: it creates a feeling of distance for me, yet also provides some degree of authority. So much symbolic and literal language inscribed onto this small surface. Curator: Indeed. And in its time, this medal was an icon of intellectual accomplishment and aristocratic identity. I can only imagine how its symbolism fostered an acute sense of cultural memory and historical narrative for its original bearer. Editor: I didn't expect such an object to have such layers. Thanks to you, I realize this medal does far more than acknowledge Diederik Louis; it creates him. Curator: Absolutely! Medals like these freeze particular socio-historic moments in symbolic form and serve as reminders.