House between Two Hills [reverse] c. 1478

This bronze medal was created by Antico around 1500, and it features a house positioned squarely between two hills, surrounded by water. This house isn’t just a dwelling; it symbolizes stability, order, and perhaps, the very idea of civilization amidst the unpredictable forces of nature. The image evokes a sense of the sacred, not unlike temples of antiquity perched between natural formations, resonating with ancient desires to find harmony between the man-made and the natural world. Think, for instance, of the image of a temple or fort placed high on a mountain in ancient Greece as a place of refuge but also as a symbolic connection between the earthly and divine realms. The waves depicted on the medal suggest both danger and purification. This symbol, like the hills, has evolved. What once represented chaos in ancient minds may become a symbol of hope or change in another context. This medal encapsulates how symbols carry layers of meaning, evolving, resurfacing, and adapting through the currents of history.