Prijspenning van de Nederlandsche Jacht-Vereeniging Nimrod (1875) 1881 1875 - 1881

Jacob Samuel Cohen Elion created this bronze prize medal for the Dutch Hunting Association Nimrod in 1881. At first glance, you are met with a play of depth and texture, achieved through the relief work on a circular form. The medal's reddish-brown hue enriches the tactile experience. The front side features a dog’s head mounted, or perhaps impaled, above crossed rifles, framed by antlers. This evokes the hunt but through a stark visual shorthand of trophy and heraldic elements. The reverse contains inscribed text commemorating a dog show. The medal operates through the contrast of image and script, object and symbol, which gives it meaning. In terms of semiotics, the medal uses a system of signs, where objects and images represent broader ideas of hunting and recognition. This medal functions not only as an aesthetic object but also as a cultural artifact, steeped in symbolism and layered with meaning. It challenges fixed meanings through ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation.