Metalen Kruis 1830-1831 after 1831

Curator: Ah, yes, here we have the Metalen Kruis 1830-1831, a metal cross dating from after 1831. Editor: It's so... compact, stoic almost, like a tiny, weighty secret hanging there. And look at that ribbon! It looks like it has really been somewhere, been through something. Curator: Indeed. The material production of commemorative medals such as this Metal Cross had become a key means by which nations memorialized significant historical events while celebrating collective values and creating cultural narratives. The object, struck in metal, would have circulated among participants, becoming a token and a trace of experience, even proof of loyalty. Editor: It’s heavier than it looks, I bet. You can almost feel the weight of expectation and duty hanging from that blue and yellow ribbon, now faded and fraying a bit at the edges, whispering stories of campaigns long past. Who do you imagine wore it? Curator: Probably an ordinary soldier, recognized for service during the Ten Days' Campaign. Consider how the mass production of this object enabled the relatively inexpensive yet effective awarding of this token, connecting individual experiences to larger notions of national identity and valor during the secession of Belgium. Editor: A token for some, and a treasure for another I suspect. I find myself drawn to the central design; it looks almost gothic with that crown resting atop what appears to be the letter W. I feel a hint of sorrow too, imagining the realities endured in battle. I almost wish I knew the whole story of the soldier. Curator: Perhaps that incompleteness serves a purpose. These were made anonymously after all. By avoiding particular stories or individual names, it allows broader identification for those it was created for, therefore fulfilling the state’s narrative-building function. Editor: Interesting how something so seemingly small and solid could evoke such expansive feelings. It makes one think about the price of independence, and the sacrifices made for it. Curator: It's an object that provides an excellent lens for exploring production, nationhood and memory, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: I concur. It is small but evokes grand feelings of sacrifice and the heavy reality of valor.