Medal Showing Prince Charles and Prince Henry 1729

Curator: It's striking, isn't it? Something about the material… heavy. Editor: It certainly is. What we have here is a baroque metal medal, created in 1729 by Ottone Hamerani. The medal features portraits of Prince Charles and Prince Henry. Curator: Baroque… yes, that makes sense. The figures have this almost theatrical quality, and they emerge from the metal almost like figures from a dream. There's a weight to it, a gravity, that the style emphasizes. It’s fascinating how a single image, crafted in metal, can embody so much hope and aspiration, or, let’s be honest, perhaps political propaganda, that’s often found during that era. Editor: Absolutely. Commemorative medals like this were instruments of power, meant to project specific ideas and cultivate allegiance. Take the inscription, for instance; that frames the portraits: "Triplicis spes tertia gestatio", which means ‘hope of a triple birth’ suggesting potential political unions and royal lines, key in projecting the legacy of this royal house. Curator: And the symbolism—a constant feature of baroque portraiture—plays a crucial role in shaping meaning. This is more than just a physical likeness; it's a representation of status and power. It also makes me reflect on who gets memorialized and the politics inherent in representation itself. It begs us to wonder who was involved, how these medals were distributed, and what effect it had. Editor: Indeed, a valid question to pose when discussing political imagery. These were tools in the shaping of public memory and the dissemination of the political narrative. This piece stands as a material testament to this function of portraiture and Baroque medal making. Curator: Exactly, a political tale pressed into metal. It leaves me considering how portraiture functions within specific cultural and historical contexts. Editor: I am equally intrigued. Let's move on to the next object.