Korenlichtermansgilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van Jan Roelofsen van der Horst 1674

This guild badge for Jan Roelofsen van der Horst, made by an anonymous silversmith, presents a vessel navigating tempestuous waters beneath the Amsterdam coat of arms. The ship, a potent symbol, is not merely a means of transport but an emblem of human endeavor, resilience, and the perennial struggle against the elemental forces. Consider, if you will, how this motif echoes through time, resonating with the ancient Ship of State, as conceived by Plato, or the ship laden with souls in Egyptian funerary art. It is a vessel tossed and turned by fate. The ship symbolizes the journey of life itself, fraught with peril and uncertainty. It speaks to the collective unconscious, stirring primal fears and aspirations. Note how the Amsterdam coat of arms, displaying three crosses, crowns this maritime scene. It reflects not only civic pride, but a plea for divine protection over the ventures undertaken. The badge acts as a microcosm of human existence, encapsulating themes of risk, reward, and the indomitable spirit that drives us to explore, trade, and connect across the vast expanse of the unknown.