Aanvang van het jaar 1746, op de hoop op vrede 1745

Nicolaas van Swinderen created this silver medal in 1746, hoping for peace. It’s a small object, only about 4 centimeters across, but it carries big symbolic weight. Medals like this one were typically made using a die-striking process, where a design is engraved into hardened steel dies, which are then used to stamp the image onto a metal blank. The precision and detail suggest the hand of a skilled artisan, someone deeply familiar with both the artistic and technical aspects of metalworking. The choice of silver is also significant. Beyond its intrinsic value, silver has long been associated with purity and clarity, qualities that resonate with the medal's message of peace and hope. On one side, a female figure, possibly Pax, the Roman goddess of peace, stands triumphantly, while on the other, a seated figure laments the cessation of war. The inscriptions, rendered with meticulous care, reinforce the medal's pacifist sentiment. By appreciating the materials, making, and context, we recognize the intrinsic ties between art, craft, and the urgent need for social change.