Korendragers- en -stortersgilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van Adryaen Benne van hier 1700

This is a copper guild badge, crafted in Amsterdam for Adryaen Benne, a member of the grain carriers and loaders guild, sometime around 1700. Guilds like this one were deeply embedded in the social and economic fabric of Dutch society, regulating trades and providing a sense of community for their members. The badge connects us to the lived experiences of the working class in Amsterdam during its Golden Age. Look closely and you'll see it bears an image of labor on one side and an inscription on the other, linking identity and occupation. It represents a convergence of labor, community, and personhood. It functioned as a symbol of belonging and status within a highly structured urban environment. In its own small way this badge embodies the intersections of identity, labor, and community in the bustling port city of Amsterdam. It speaks to the pride and solidarity of the working people who built and sustained the city's prosperity.