Warmoezeniersgilde [?], gildepenning van Jacob Serefaes c. 1600 - 1700

This small, square guild badge was made anonymously for Jacob Serefaes. The badge connects to the Warmoezeniersgilde, a Dutch market gardener's guild. These guilds were more than just trade organizations; they functioned as tight-knit communities that influenced the social lives of their members. The badge's design, featuring vegetables, speaks to the guild's trade. But it also quietly speaks to the economic and social structures of the time, a time when agricultural guilds played a significant role in local economies. Consider the life of someone like Jacob Serefaes, a member of this guild. What were his daily routines? How did his work intersect with his identity and community? This object serves as a marker of identity and belonging. It reminds us that even the simplest objects can hold stories of work, community, and individual lives within broader historical narratives.