Prijspenning van de Internationale Koloniale en Uitvoerhandel-Tentoonstelling te Amsterdam 1883 (zilveren medaille) 1883

This silver medal was designed by A. Fisch for the International Colonial and Export Exhibition in Amsterdam in 1883. Silver, in its cool sheen and metallic density, lends an air of prestige to the medal. Minting a medal involves skilled die-cutting and stamping, processes that imbue the metal with symbolic weight. Note the way the images have been pressed into the metal: on one side, a portrait of King Willem III; on the other, allegorical figures representing trade and industry, celebrating Dutch colonial enterprise. The making of this object reveals a system of power and production: silver extracted from mines, labor expended in minting, and a colonial agenda made manifest in material form. It prompts us to consider the social and economic contexts embedded in this object. By recognizing the intricate connection between materials, making, and social context, we understand how the artistry of the medal is deeply entwined with the history of colonialism.