Wapenschild van de familie Boele van Wormer 1660 - 1672

Editor: This is “Wapenschild van de familie Boele van Wormer,” a drawing by Pieter Jansz., made sometime between 1660 and 1672. It’s rendered in ink and watercolor on paper, a coat of arms, really meticulously detailed despite its relatively small scale. It strikes me as both regal and quite personal. What resonates with you when you look at it? Curator: Heraldry, like any visual language, encodes identity and aspiration through symbols. Consider those chevrons in the Boele van Wormer shield – do they remind you of roof rafters, suggestive of protection and structure? Think about how lineage uses repeating motifs, shaping cultural memory. Does the symmetry convey stability, or the hint of asymmetry betray something more idiosyncratic? Editor: I hadn't thought about the roof rafter analogy, that’s insightful. I suppose I saw the chevrons as simply decorative. And that crest with the wings, do you see any specific meaning conveyed there? Curator: Wings often symbolize aspiration, spiritual elevation, even freedom. Are they eagle's wings denoting power, or something softer? Also notice the colour choices. Do the colours carry coded meanings of strength, purity, or familial ties? Perhaps red alludes to military strength or sacrifice. What stories might these details tell about this specific family? Editor: It’s like reading a visual biography! Curator: Precisely! Each element is carefully considered. Now that you’ve considered the symbolism, has your impression of it changed? Editor: Definitely. I see it now as a deliberate construction of identity, a visual claim about who the Boele van Wormer family was and how they wished to be seen. Curator: Exactly. So we moved beyond aesthetics towards a kind of coded communication. That interplay makes these pieces perennially fascinating, don't you agree?