Shield with House-mark [reverse] 1543

Curator: Immediately, I sense such weight—literally! This metal piece, crafted by Friedrich Hagenauer in 1543, it’s titled "Shield with House-mark," or at least this is the reverse side. What strikes you initially? Editor: The texture is really intriguing—it’s clearly been handled. You can almost feel the impression of past fingers. I’m drawn to thinking about how metal like this circulated in medieval society. What kind of labor was involved in its production? Curator: The engraver’s skill here is really something. Look how crisply that family crest at the center pops, it’s floating in this quiet sort of heroism, even with that surrounding script, so tiny yet assertive! I mean, what tales does that house-mark tell? It’s like a mini-epic captured in silver. Editor: It certainly highlights the fusion of artistry and utility. The medal had an everyday purpose as well as conveying power, status. Its composition is tied directly to its materiality, what that metal literally means as currency. The question is whether this is art elevated or material culture at its most refined. Curator: I am in no position to separate its being art from the purpose of making it, like the shield or the symbol on the back could’ve served several purposes, including representing pride. Is its utility its purpose? And who made it and for what audience. It gives the piece an undeniably tender allure. Almost as if it’s whispering. Editor: That “whispering,” I imagine that sound reverberates through workshops filled with metal shavings, tools, apprentices learning their trade... all shaping culture, not just passively reflecting it. Think about the conditions of making versus some aristocratic consumption of the thing. Curator: The metal bears witness. Its patina feels like time rendered visible. This compact artwork speaks to the vast theatre of life—dynasties and aspirations molded within a cold, hard surface. How incredible to reflect that a seemingly immutable object embodies so many voices and narratives? Editor: Agreed. Seeing something like this up close makes you understand that value systems leave traces everywhere.