Feestelijk koningsschieten, prijspenning ter ere van L.B. , onderofficier Hansen II 1855

Editor: Here we have "Feestelijk koningschieten, prijspenning ter ere van L.B. , onderofficier Hansen II", a bronze medal, dated 1855, likely a print with relief. It seems commemorative, almost stoic. How do you interpret its significance? Curator: This piece speaks volumes about the intersection of social hierarchies and military culture in 19th-century Europe. Commemorative medals were often commissioned by or for institutions of power to reinforce existing structures. Do you notice how the imagery of weaponry on one side contrasts with the celebratory wreath on the other? Editor: I see the rifle and horn... It’s almost like they're juxtaposing military prowess with civilian life or... reward? Curator: Precisely. It raises questions about who is being celebrated and why. Was Hansen being honored simply for military service, or does this medal reflect something more specific about the sociopolitical context of the time? Consider, too, who had access to such honors? Whose stories remain untold? These are the nuances that inform my thinking around historical artworks. Editor: So, looking at this today, it's less about the individual and more about what the object itself tells us about societal power structures. Curator: Absolutely. How objects like these were used, displayed, and distributed, all contribute to an understanding of historical forces and offer an opportunity to think about equity, exclusion and class in the 19th century, even today. Editor: I hadn't considered the silences implicit in celebratory objects. It makes you wonder about who was excluded from these 'festivities' and honors. Thanks, that was insightful. Curator: Likewise, I found your observation about its mood and stoicism thought-provoking!