Huis van Oranje-Nassau 1875

Henri Charles Wurden created this medal of the House of Orange-Nassau with bronze. Here we see the symbolic richness of an angel defeating a lion, mirroring ancient victory motifs, recalling not just Saint George, but also the Mesopotamian hero Marduk slaying Tiamat, chaos incarnate. The motif's emotional power lies in its dramatization of triumph over adversity. The image of the angel resonates as a symbol of divine intervention, or perhaps the triumph of light and order over darkness and chaos, connecting viewers to a primal narrative of conflict and resolution. Observe, too, the tree, its branches both bare and bearing fruit. This recalls the Tree of Life, present in cultures from ancient Egypt to Germanic folklore, symbolizing growth, death, and rebirth. These aren't mere emblems but vessels of collective memory, resurfacing and transforming across time. The image speaks to a cyclical understanding of history, where past struggles and triumphs inform the present.