Internationale landbouwtentoonstelling te Amsterdam, ter ere van Willem III, koning der Nederlanden 1884

This bronze medal was created by Jacob Samuel Cohen Elion to honor Willem III, King of the Netherlands, at the International Agricultural Exhibition in Amsterdam. Notice the royal coat of arms, prominently displaying the lion, a symbol deeply embedded in the collective memory of not only Dutch, but European heraldry. The lion, often associated with courage and royalty, has been a recurring motif since ancient times. Think of the Lion Gate at Mycenae, a symbol of power watching over the city. Here, it signifies the strength and sovereignty of the Dutch monarchy. But symbols are never static. Consider how the lion appears in various contexts throughout history. Sometimes it is a symbol of brute force, other times of divine authority. In this medal, the lion is both a link to the past and a statement about the present, revealing how cultural memory is not a linear progression but a cyclical one. The image connects us to deep-seated cultural narratives, engaging viewers on a subconscious level and triggering associations with power, heritage, and national identity.