Jonkheer Johan Willem van Vredenburch 1842

This silver medal of Jonkheer Johan Willem van Vredenburch was made by Johannes Petrus Schouberg. The medal’s circular form is divided into two distinct halves, creating a semiotic contrast between representation and heraldry. On one side, the incised profile of Jonkheer van Vredenburch emerges, framed by an inscription that echoes the medal’s edge. On the other, a detailed coat of arms features an eagle and a lion, symbols of power and nobility, meticulously arranged around a central shield. The careful distribution of elements within the circular format structures a visual dialogue that speaks to identity, lineage, and status. The very structure of the medal—its shape, the division of its faces, and the arrangement of its symbols—functions as a sign. It is a representation of social hierarchy and personal identity, mediated through the formal language of heraldry and portraiture. Through the structuring of form and symbol, the medal invites a continuous reinterpretation of its cultural significance.